Berlin Calling (Hannes Stöhr)

[pro-bassoonist]

Hannes Stöhr's Berlin Calling (2008) is set to be released in Germany on November 27th. Screened at the Locarno Film Festival.

Official site and trailer:
http://www.berlin-calling.de/en

Specs:

1,85:1/Full HD/1080p/24fps
Sound: Dt. DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: German Original Cinemaversion with English Subtitles
Length 109 Min.
+ over 30 Min. Bonus-Material, also with English Subtitles:
Official Making of Berlin Calling, Musicvideo “Sky and Sand”, Trailer, Teaser, Storyboard, Photos.

Variety:

Auds endlessly fascinated by drug addicts might happily answer the summons of multihyphenate Hannes Stoehr's "Berlin Calling," which stuffs the usual junkie tale into a techno-DJ casing. Slickly made pic's opening scenes are carried along on a decent wave of energy, but the later sequences in rehab feel too familiar to hold more than passing interest. Even the music won't convince those unconverted to the trancelike effects of techno, while genuine fans will feel let down by its under use. Pic should deliver a modest B.O. buzz at home, but international distribs are unlikely to pick up the call.

Star DJ Paul Kalkbrenner makes a commendable thesping debut as Ickarus, a fictional DJ whose bio Stoehr and others are keen to distance from that of the man playing him. Ickarus has a thriving career, legions of fans, a record label keen on his latest work in progress and a together g.f./manager, Mathilde (Rita Lengyel). He also has Erbse (RP Kahl), a pusher supplying him with the coke and pills that seem a necessary adjunct to the lifestyle.

Following a particularly bad trip, Ickarus checks himself into a psych ward for substance abusers, ruled by even-tempered passive-aggressive shrink Dr. Petra Paul (Corinna Harfouch). Imagining he'll have plenty of quiet time inside to complete his new album, Ickarus isn't willing to face the real issues that remain: He's still suffering from drug dependence, a fed-up Mathilde decamps to her ex-g.f. Corinna (Araba Walton), and label producer Alice (Megan Gay) feels his new tracks are too "random."

Naturally, Ickarus slides gleefully back into substance abuse, allowing for several scenes that are presumably meant to be naughtily amusing but will provoke stifled yawns instead. After hitting rock bottom, the hapless addict pulls himself up again once people rally round, leading to a ridiculously rose-tinted ending.

Given pic's title, more could have been made of Berlin's inner and outer geography, but the grungy club/rave scene depicted feels as globalized as techno itself -- odd, since Stoehr, in previous pics "Berlin Is in Germany" and "One Day in Europe," displayed a special interest in locale. In a brief nod to the city, the helmer-scripter throws in a couple artificial scenes between the DJ and his pastor father (Udo Kroschwald) to make the highly suspect suggestion that Ickarus' behavior springs from an adolescence traumatized by the fall of the Wall and his mother's death.

Kalkbrenner has the appropriate energy, and obvious familiarity with the scene, to carry the story, plus a certain playfulness that can come across as charm to tolerant auds for whom the sight of yet one more person snorting coke reps a kind of thrill. Vet thesp Harfouch brings her years of control and presence to an underdeveloped role.

Fans of Kalkbrenner's music will be surprised by the minimal use of pounding tracks, which rarely meld well enough with the action to explain Ickarus' energy or his frustration during the creative process. Visuals and sound are never less than professional but rarely provide the necessary spunk required for a story acting as both a cautionary tale and a bemused take on the drug scene.

Camera (color), Andreas Doub; editor, Anne Fabini; music, Paul Kalkbrenner; production designer, Sebastian Wurm; costume designer, Charlotte Sawatzki; sound (Dolby SRD), Patrick Veigel, Stefan Soltau, Bjorn Wiese; line producer, Karsten Aurich; assistant director, Mirko Borscht; casting, Karen Wendland. Reviewed at Locarno Film Festival (Piazza Grande), Aug. 7, 2008. Running time: 109 MIN.

Pro-B

[LazerTron]

Have it on DVD and look forward to buy the Blu-ray as well just for the fun of it. One very fine underrated movie with excellent performances by Kalkbrenner and Harfouch.