Customer Reviews

Run Lola Run [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(382)
4 star:		(94)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Run Lola Run is the type of frenzied arthouse picture that just doesn't get made here in North America. That's really a shame because Run Lola Run is definitley one of the best movies of the year. From a cinematic point of view "Lola" is one of the most creative and energetic films that I have ever seen.

The plot revolves around Lola, a woman who has twenty minutes to save her boyfriend's life from German gangsters. To do this she must miraculously acquire 100,000 Marks.

The film is appropriately titled as Lola really does run for practically the entire film. When she does not succeed in saving her boyfriend the movie cuts back to the opening sequence and the film plays out yet again in an entirely different fashion. The central idea is that small variations in behaviour can change the entire outcome of a situation. This idea was also explored in "Sliding Doors", unfortunately, with far more mixed results.

Eventually the cycle repeats itself three times over the movies one hour twenty minute screen time. Run Lola Run is just bubbling with creative ideas and really is a stunning ride. The action never really lets up (except in a brief bed scene) and is filmed in the kind of frenetic, crazy style that MTV would be proud of. Lola is also extremely funny in many parts especially when the film briefly delves into the future's of various small characters.

This is a perfect little film that stands up to repeated viewings. It is smart, entertaining and is something that is completely unique. Hollywood movies rarely have those three qualities, this German one does.

Catch this superb German film before Hollywood decides to remake it (and believe me, they will). This is cinema in its purest, most kinetic form.

The plot is simple: Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 marks that her boyfriend Manni owes to drug dealers, otherwise he's going to have to rob a store to get it. And that's it, basically. Only, ingeniously, we are treated to 3 versions of her run (or perhaps alternative universes), events unfolding differently depending on how long it takes her and the choices she makes. The attention to detail is stunning, and every little image and incident is relevant to the taut plotting. A wonderfully choreographed study of time and space.

What we have is a kind of Sliding Doors (or Fowles' French Lieutenant's Woman) meets Pulp Fiction with all the energy and modernity of Trainspotting, mixing drama, tragedy and dark humour. Run Lola Run is a whirlwind race against time as our flame-haired heroine pounds the sidewalks of Berlin, unknowingly initiating traffic accidents, bank heists, uncovering dark family secrets, and changing the lives of the people she encounters on her way (beautifully executed in a series of Polaroid montages) in a complex web of cause and effect.

Furiously paced, and edited, Twyker's masterpiece of Chance bombards us with an entire catalogue of camera tricks, techniques and mediums; split screen, time lapse, animation (in the cartoon sense), anything to grab our attention and immerse us in the situation, and is enhance by an excellent techno soundtrack (composed by Twyker).

Presented on DVD with a decent extras package, Run Lola Run is a rush - in every sense of the word - from start to finish. (Watch it in German with the English subtitles, however, as the dubbed English soundtrack is dire.)

Run Lola Run was the first movie on DVD that I had ever purchased without seeing it first. I based my purchase on the great reviews of the film I had read time and time again. The DVD arrived this week and I was not dissapointed.

The film is only 81 minutes long, and is extremely fast-paced and tense for the entire time. You really have to pay attention during the movie and suspend disbelief for a while to really enjoy this one.

The quality of the DVD transfer is very good. The picture is great, and the sound is outstanding (the film has a good heavy soundtrack). The extras on the disc aren't too exciting, but it is nice to have both German/English language tracks as well as English/French/None subtitles. I thought the english dubbing was done exceptionally well (except for the first scene).

One interesting thing to note is that it is a double sided DVD, with the fullscreen version on one side and the widescreen version on the other side. There is no label on the DVD... only very very tiny print on the innermost rim of the disc. You have to have some good eyes to read it.

I highly recommend this movie. But get it on DVD. It wouldn't be half as good on VHS.

If you think that Lara Croft is the quintessential action star, then you obviously haven't met Lola. "Run Lola Run" is a masterpiece of action filmmaking that I loved. It is one of the best films of the year, and I will definitely buy it when it comes out on video. The film opens with a policeman/referee explaining the rules of a game. He dropkicks a soccer ball into the atmosphere, and the game begins with the ring of a telephone. Lola answers to find out that her boyfriend, Manni, is in trouble. He has left 100,000 marks on a subway train that has fallen into the hands of a homeless man. If he cannot get the money to the gangster he owes it to in twenty minutes, he will attempt a desperate, ill-fated robbery in order to keep from beng killed. With a scream from her throat and a toss of the bright red phone receiver, Lola is on the run, leaving her flame-red hair, her quick feet, and a pulsing techno soundtrack to carry the film the rest of the way. It is when she begins to run that I sat forward, eagerly awaiting the outcomes of her three separate journeys. Yes, Lola's odyssey transpires three times, each with a different outcome, and all because of one boy and his riled dog. Most of the film's elements remain the same: Lola meets the same people, runs under the same El-Train and always busts into her father's office at the bank while he's in the middle of a heart-to-heart talk with his mistress. As Lola meets the same people on the street, their lives are flashed before us in a series of snapshots, showing the different outcomes, all based on Lola's timing. Franka Potente plays Lola with the sort of perfect performance that most actresses wish they could pull off. Her screams always seem real and heartfelt, her tears in the confrontation with her father are real, and look of intensity that remains on Lola's face while she's on the run shows a very clear message: That Lola is a woman in love, and a woman on a mission. A mission that will be accompished at all costs. "Run Lola Run" is not only the best action film ever made, it is also one of my all-time favorites, and it sets a new standard that no one will be able to surpass.

RUN LOLA RUN is one of those movies you can literally watch again and again and again. The plotline is fairly simple: a young girl, Lola, must help her boyfriend scrape together 100,000 deutsche marks in 20 minutes, or a ruthless gangster will kill him. The trick is the story is told 3 different ways with 3 different outcomes. Mixing animation, trip-hop/techno music, and fast-paced action/editing, you have a terrific movie with gritty, realistic characters and action that won't stop!

Franka Potente is a star in the making. She's soon to be seen with Johnny Depp in the film BLOW. Can't wait to see what electricity she'll bring to her role there!!

The DVD edition includes a running commentary with the director, Twyker, and Franka Potente. Very interesting to learn how difficult it was for the actors to portray key scenes numerous times and still maintain the tension and fear so important to carrying the storyline.

EXCELLENT!!!

I saw this movie for free at a European film festival, and I feel *lucky* to have done so! I liked it so much that I saw it again, and I loved it AGAIN! I'm hoping it goes mainstream so that it gets the audience it deserves (and video prices will go down ;-) ).

Not only does it excellently execute ALL the elements of the film; it also leaves you thinking - about fate, luck, and even love. The way Tom Tykwer blends wonderful cinematography, infectious music, and innovative montages of different film techniques and formats into a highly immersive movie is sure to be appreciated by critics, serious movie aficionados, and masses alike. Emotionally, one feels immediate affinity and sympathy to the lead characters and their situation, the humor is seamlessly infused in the film (read: no jokes or comedic cliches, yet it WORKS!), and the powerful bond between Lola and Manni is very subtle, but very stated at the same time. If only for its sheer novelty and refreshing nature, I believe this film will be one that will be remembered in this century's movie history for its perfection in combining universal themes, visual and aural cinematic elements, classic film formulas, and, well, innovation!

This is clearly one of the most creative films I have ever seen. It was a huge hit at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival and at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and well deserves every award it won. In German, with English subtitles, this is a wild and exciting fast-paced movie that cannot be neatly assigned to a type or genre. Starring Franka Potente as Lola, her unique screen presence defined by her strong body, engaging tattoos and raggedy orange hair, she has a mere 20 minutes to get a large amount of money to her boyfriend so that he won't be killed by the mob. Instead of just showing us one of Lola's approaches, the film gives us three choices, and packs a strong punch with its theme of fate and destiny and how one tiny little move can effect not only the main characters, but also everyone around them. You can literally pick your own ending, each one packed with excitement and ironies.

Most of the film shows Lola running, and as she passes by the same bystanders, their lives are changed in long-ranging ways. The pace of this movie is fast and is a mere 81 minutes long and it didn't lag for one single moment. As a matter of fact, I didn't want to take my eyes off the screen because I didn't want to miss anything. The soundtrack is perfect to accompany all the running, and the director, Tom Tykwer, uses a great mix of animation, still photography, slow motion and some very unusual camera shots. Never, once, however did the film sink into just a palette for showing off his artistry. The story and the characters were foremost and the audience is held captive, their hearts beating, as they join Lola in her run. Recommended. Don't miss it!

I'll just cut to the chase. It's in German, it's subtitled, and you'll do yourself a disservice by not reading on. Run Lola Run is the hippest, most original thriller since The Matrix.

Remember how everyone, including myself, was so amazed by the fact that 1999's hit The Blair Witch Project cost so little to make? Here's another fact: Germans, like most Europeans, have never had the luxury of a big budget. Indeed, the reason they don't make films like The Matrix is because they can't afford to. The other side of the coin is that they have learned to be exceptionally inventive. It's a shame their movies don't have much of an audience here, and I generally believe that subtitles are a problem. Ironically, Hollywood makes half it's money overseas, and in all non-English speaking territories, our movies are dubbed. That's why you can listen to a DVD movie in French or Spanish, if you care to. These are simply the soundtracks from the foreign releases.

Luckily for us, Run Lola Run is almost entirely a visual experience, with a storyline so simple that complex dialog isn't necessary. The throbbing techno-industrial music is a key to the enjoyment of the movie, but these sounds are universal.

How's this for simple? Lola gets a phone call from her boyfriend, Manni. A drug deal has gone horribly wrong [I won't tell you how!], and if she doesn't get a large sum of money to him in twenty minutes, he's a dead man. So Lola runs - literally - to try and get the money. In a plot device so clever you will simply have to see it for yourself, Lola gets not one but three tries of twenty minutes each to successfully complete her task. Each attempt starts out in exactly the same way, but because of the way small things occur as she is running down the stairway of her apartment building, there are three different outcomes. All of them are startling and unexpected. It is left to each viewer to decide which outcome they prefer.

The acting is uniformly excellent, from the two leads down to the smallest roles. As Lola, Franica Potente has an intensity and an energy level that is almost exhausting. Of course, she must have run a thousand or so miles to prepare for this very physical role. Moritz Bleibtreu is perfect as Manni. He is utterly believable as a guy who gets himself in a situation which is at once scary, because if the consequences and hilarious, because it is caused by the silliest of mistakes.

Writer and director Tom Tykwer is a major new force behind the camera. Like many Europeans before him, the success of this movie may lure him to the bright lights and big budgets of Hollywood. Even if he refuses the call, which might be a wise decision, his is the kind of inventive moviemaking that will be copied over and over again anyway. And why not? Herr Tykwer's cinematic tricks are well worth repeating.

A kinetic, music driven sprint throught the most intense 20 minutes of one young life... times 3. The cinematography is astounding, some of the visuals in this film are gripping not only because of the lovely young Franka Potente but also the way the camera captures the pure primal energy of her considerably well-shaped body in motion. Not overly heavy on plot or opportunity for outstanding acting as a whole this film doesn't lack at all in visual and auditory appeal. What story their is present is perfectly understated for the purpose of the overall movie, and the scenes that develop the main characters and their emotional motivations are well handled in both the direction of Tom Tykwer and the acting of Potente and Bleibtreu. All in all I would give the film 4.5 stars, but I rounded up for the sake of this review.

In Short: One of the year's very best films - and Tristar has put together an excellent DVD.

The Movie:

I was stunned from the first minute and 81 minutes later, I'm still exhilarated. "Run Lola Run" is a wildly stylish German thriller that takes the visual thrills that were presented in this year's "Go" and takes that kind of energy down to the essentials. From the opening frame, the movie never stops. Music pounds away, urging it onward to an almost unreal pace.

The plot is simple and we're thrown into it from the very begining - Lola (Franka Portente) recieves a call from her boyfriend Manni that he lost a bag with 100,000 marks that he was supposed to deliver. If he doesn't come up with the money in 20 minutes, he's dead. The movie screams at you; throws almost every trick in the book at you, even shows sequences as cartoons.

And so Lola begins her run - faster and faster, with an incredibly surreal and wonderful style cutting the pieces together. When Lola bumps into someone, we see (via snapshots) what happened to that person after she bumped into them. Potente makes a fantastic lead actress - there is an urgency in every word, every emotion, that makes us want her to win in the end. The story has alternate versions of what could happen as it spins around on itself, thrusting forward yet again. "Run Lola Run" is unlike anything I've ever seen - it's a rush of energy unlike anything in film in the past couple of years, and I think it's really one of the best films of 1999.

The DVD

VIDEO: Tristar does it again - a fantastic looking anamorphic transfer letterboxed at 1.85:1 that has wonderfully clear images and displays excellent detail. Some of the movie was shot on different film mediums and although they don't look quite as sharp, they still remain strong. The movie has a fairly pale color palette, with the exception a flare of bright color that pops up, mainly of Lola's bright red hair, which looks vibrant and rich as she speeds throughout the city. Although the movie flies by, the picture is sharp enough to appreciate the architecture of Berlin, even if only for a passing moment.

There really aren't any flaws to speak of that I saw - this is an incredibly clear and sharp looking image with no shimmering or other similar problems. Aside from maybe one or two very tiny marks on the print, this is a beautiful looking transfer. Fantastic work from Tristar. A full-frame edition is also included on the flip side.

SOUND One of the main elements of the movie is the pounding techno soundtrack and it's also the main highlight of the sound mix, coming through wonderfully, sounding intense and dynamic, with good bass. There's also some very good uses of the surrounds on occasion. Both the German and English sound mixes are included and I found it kind of interesting to watch the English version and watch the subtitles to see what the original version is. Dialogue sounds clear in either language. Again, the music is really the highlight and it really powers the movie along.

MENUS:: Stylish but non-animated menus that are easy to navigate.

EXTRAS: Commentary: This is a commentary track from actress Franka Portente and director Tom Twyker. What I enjoyed most about listening to it was how much fun the two seemed to be having discussing the movie and how energetically they offered comments about the picture. It's really quite an interesting commentary and as I finished up watching the movie itself for the first time I was particularly excited to hear the two talk about how they made a lot of the movie.

I definitely wasn't dissapointed. Although the commentary has a fairly relaxed feel, the two manage to discuss much of what I was looking for - the director offers a lot of particularly fascinating notes, mainly amount how a lot of the film's visual effects and camera tricks were achieved. He also talks about the importance of music in the picture and how the concepts for the film's music were brought to life. The actress talks a lot about how experiences in the film, mainly about how she had to run ...and run...and run. A lot of scenes of Lola running had to be shot more than once from more than one angle, exhausting for the actress. She also points out, along with the director, a lot of the German actors who star in the picture and their history. Some commentators spend too much time pointing out who's who in the film (such as the Farrelly Brothers on both of their commentaries) and thankfully, the two commentators don't do that here. In fact, I found a lot of the tidbits that were pointed out about the various actors to be quite interesting.

Again, I really liked this commentary. The two are energetic and sound like they're having fun talking about the picture. This is my first time seeing the movie and I really found it highly enjoyable - I look forward to future films from both of them.

Also: Music video, trailers for "Run Lola Run", "Orlando" and "Dreamlife Of Angels" as well as talent/production notes.

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Final Thoughts A must see.