‘Man… probably the most mysterious species on our planet…’
Having rinsed the 90s dry during the three big lockdowns we have endured since March 2020, I am now having to delve a little deeper to discover something that I haven’t seen before, specifically the world of experimental German cinema…
It should all have been straightforward. Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) makes the drop, picks up the cash, and then waits for Lola (Franka Potente) to arrive to ensure that everything runs smoothly. When Lola is delayed en route, everything starts to go very wrong, to the tune of 100,000 Deutschmarks.
That description ‘experimental German cinema’, while factually accurate, does not really express the kind of film this is. It is experimental. It is German. It’s definitely cinema. But it’s also entertaining and eminently watchable, informed by Tarantino more than anyone else, but also shot through with originality and a unique slant on what is a familiar plot device (the ticking clock accompanied with the need to acquire vast sums of money is as old as time).
Tom Tykwer, directing his own screenplay, employs a number of innovative techniques to ensure that this time slip tale doesn’t become too stale (that rhymes Marge, and you know it rhymes) including flash forwards, animation and repeated characters and motifs. The result is a film that still feels fresh as a daisy, something unusual for this particular period in cinema, whilst also having the familiar ache of something produced in the greatest decade of all time.
Without a solid cast however, Tykwer’s vision could well have stalled. Luckily, Franka Potente is an utter joy here, her luscious red locks matching the exuberance of her performance, whilst Bleibtreu is suitably nervous and anxious in his role as the lovable idiot. The electro soundtrack doesn’t pull up any trees, but it fits the grimy aesthetic of the film itself and the whole thing ties together wonderfully in a way that screams cult classic.
Run Lola Run remains one of the most acclaimed and yet underseen movies of the 90s, if like me, you have an unhealthy obsession with that golden age, invite Lola into your life as I did mine. You won’t regret it.