VIDEO REVIEW: Run Lola Run

VIDEO REVIEW: Luna Papa

REVIEW: Luna Papa

Luna Papa
Director: Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov
Year 1999

Luna Papa is a marvelous modern day fable set against the backdrop of the beautiful expansive landscapes of Tadshikistan. Directed by Tadshikistan native Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov and written by both Irakli Kvirikadze and the aforementioned director, Luna Papa tells the story of a young innocent girl named Mamlakat, played to perfection by the beautiful and extremely talented Chulpan Khamatova, as she struggles with family problems and the fact that she has recently become pregnant by an unknown stranger.

What makes this film so unique, is the fact that it is all being told from the perspective of the unborn child. With this creative method, the film is able to really stretch within a child like frame of mind, allowing for a more fantastical representation of the world that we've come to know. Along with the fairy tale element of viewing the world from a child's eye view, the film also follows similar cues found within shakespearean tales, providing a comedy that's filled with tragedy, unique characters, and plenty of poetically charged visuals.

 My god, I'm talking to a pile of rocks!

What really makes Luna Papa such a glorious success is the flawless performance by young Chulpan Khamatova. I had only recently become aware of her screen presence earlier this year when I stumbled across a Russian super hero film called The Sword Bearer that I reviewed in April.  Watching her subtle performance in that film had me hooked and I had to hunt down the rest of her more universally acclaimed roles. After seeing her portray the troubled Mamlakat in Luna Papa, I've made it my film loving duty to obtain the rest of her films. I've recently viewed Goodbye Lenin where she doesn't exactly have that much screen time, but in the scenes that she does appear she steals the show. She's an expert actress and the performance that she gives in Luna Papa is beyond words and simply original in every and all aspects.

 I pledge allegiance to the flag....

The rest of the cast does an equally superb job with bringing their vibrant characters to life. Moritz Bleibtreu of such stellar films as Run Lola Run, Das Experiment, Munich, and The Baader Meinhof Complex, gives an interesting and sympathetic turn as Mamlakat's estranged and confused brother Nasreddin. Suffering from shell shock and constantly getting into trouble, Moritz conveys Nasreddin as a gentle yet highly troubled young man who, in previous events not seen in the film, is dealing with a lot of demons from warring as a soldier. His antics of racing around the town knocking things over, mimicking an endless battle with evil, gives his character a frayed yet harmless quality that allows us to sympathize with his plight and all that's going on within the film's story. It was actually surprising for me to see him in a role like this, because I'm used to always seeing him representing a more controlled character. With Nasreddin, Moritz is able to step outside of the norm and play a more obscure role, one that definitely progresses the story-line but through none traditional ways.

 And the winner is Pops in his red speedster!

The directional efforts of Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov is just astounding and it really breaths life into the world of Luna Papa. The camera swoops along with the action and gracefully soars from one scene to the next. I'm often caught off guard on how amazing the entire film flows and how set we are as the audience in this world. It almost feels like were part of the adventure, getting to know the subtle nature of these characters and sharing in on the madness of it all. Nothing is taken at face value and grounded in the world of the ordinary.

Everything is epically overblown and dramatic in flare. There's many outstanding uses of a propeller airplane that, as the story progress, we come to find means a great deal to the overall story arch. There's just some very masterful shots in this film that will have you really appreciating the great efforts that the director and crew must have gone through to get the timing of some of these said scenes that perfect, yet make it look so effortless in the process.

 So what, I like standing on cars. No big whoop.

To watch this film, is two experience the lives of this tight knit family that we follow throughout its length. There are some scenes in the movie that really show a great deal of heart and soul. Little moments that if placed in other filmmaker's hands would have been normal and uneventful, but within the world of Luna Papa, these moments come off as a stupendous endeavor that has a life of its own.  Much like how a musical relates the feelings of the actors through expressive songs, giving a great deal more weight and impactful nature to their sung words, the director uses this same technique but with sweaping camera movements while acquiring a delicate focus on the wimsical nature of his characters and fantasy infused world that they inhabit. The recipe results in something entirely watchable and extremely enjoyable to experience.

 Mamlakat is pissed that she missed Top Cruise, and who wouldn't be.

The world of Luna Papa is an eyepopping one, with never a dull moment or frame to be seen. The colors pop across the desert landscapes and the nighttime locations are infused with such a fragile and beautifully placed lighting scheme, that it does wonders to bring us into each new beautiful location. The visuals that Tadshikistan provides are ones that really can't be placed anywhere else in the world. It really is a wonderful location filled with such diverse landscape and colorful places, that I can't imagine this spectacular story being told anywhere else. Tadshikistan is Luna Papa and both film and place blend admirably together.

 Prepare for takeoff.

The comedy within this film is picture perfect for the characters and world that they've set up. Nothing ever feels out of place or simply put in to get a cheap laugh. Most of the humorous scenes that really work have to do with how the character is dealing with a given situation. One of the most memorable moments that had me cracking up, was when Mamlakat sneaks out to visit a doctor to get an abortion, which in the end never comes to fruition because of extenuating circumstances. After telling the doctor her sob story, he finally conceeds to the operation and tells her to lie on the table. Mamlakat, seeing the leg sturrups and never being in this situation before, mistakes them for arm sturrups and lays flat on her belly with arms straight out, looking like she's about to take off like some kind of airplane.

Now you'd think that the situation of getting an abortion wouldn't be a funny one in the least, but through the niavity of Mamlakat and the expert timing of actress Chulpan Khamatova, combined with the horrible situation that she is in, the director is able to slip in a comedic moment that doesn't feel thrown out of left field. It's natural in its execution and normal for a woman as young and inexperienced as she is in this story to be confused yet to go about it in the most oblivious way. It's also interesting that the shape of an airplane and also stylistic cues come up again and again throughout the film, but that's another one of those everlasting charms that the film throws out to you after repeat viewings.

 Why the hell can't I grow tomatoes for shit?

Not only is there some great comedic moments in this film, but there's also some heart felt drama that tends to creep up from time to time. Sometimes these dramatic moments are intersected with comedic touches that have you feeling multiple emotions at once. One of the best examples of this is when Mamlakat's father, played by Ato Mukhamedzhanov, is pleading at his wife's grave asking when it is his time to join her. He's fed up with all that life has thrown at him after her passing and he wants nothing more then to be with her again. He frustratingly begins clawing at the ground digging a small hole just big enough to place his head in and then proceeds to bury his head under the sand.

The scene starts out heartbreaking and then suddenly dips into comedic flavor as he basically gives up on any kind of dignity and kneels there with his head buried firmly in the ground. The scene is also a great play of how fathers deal with finding that their daughter has become pregnant while still in their care. They figuratively bury their head in the sand and pretend that it's not true. The visual metaphor is brilliant and you'll find constant instances like this throughout the film.

 What a beautiful time for a ferry ride.

Luna Papa is just plain fun. It's an adventure movie with a comic twist, created from the mind of an innocent unborn child who views the world from a sort of fairy-tale storybook perspective. The adventures that Mamlakat and her family get into as they search far and wide for the father of her baby, is so sprawling and unpredictable that you can't help but be swept up by the unbridled ambitiousness of the story. The characters that they meet along the way are equally matched by the boldness of the narrative. You will literally not know what is going to happen next. The film has such a random nature to it, but at the heart of it, it has so much stability and coherency that you won't consciously notice the mad cap nature of it all. You just fall in line with the characters and go along for the ride. In my opinion that's the epitome of masterful story telling. If you can lose the audience into the world that you've created then you've done your job to the fullest.

 The whole worlds come undone, Mamlakat's got a gun!

Now this wouldn't be a very thorough review if I didn't mention the glorious music that accompanies this impressive film. Daler Nazarov provides some jovial and uplifting themes along with a slew of haunting and melodramatic melodies that add another layer of mastery to the overall movie. One of my favorite pieces entitled Loneliness, crops up from time to time and when it does it perfectly captures the feeling of desperation and seclusion that Mamlakat is going through trying to deal with living in a society that frowns upon unmarried pregnant women and dealing with the fact that any happiness that she finds seems to die a quick and painful death. The score for this film by Nazarov is one that provides the perfect visual sound needed to catapult this story into legendary and story book status. The mythical allegory that the film lays out for its audience is perfectly represented with the melding of characters, locations, visuals, and music.

Probably the coolest and strangest birthday card to give someone.

Luna Papa is a type of film that you will likely never again see in your lifetime. It's originality will be hard pressed to match and the execution of the film is something that seems to be only possible in that moment of time when it was filmed. To be truthful, this is not a film that is visually seen, but emotionally experienced. It's a ride through someone else's life, yet through the eyes of a child. Such a confusing conundrum seems destined only to end in a muddy mess of incoherent patch-worked scenes, but from this madness emerges a film that truly reveals itself to be something of a lost gem.

The lively story, combined with the wonder of each characters impact on the overall narrative, gives birth to a film like no other. One with heart, soul, and a compelling nature that never seems to dim as the story expands into the absurd. Luna Papa is a film that you must see for yourself to gauge its worth. Some might get lost in the frantic nature of the story, but if you're willing to cling on and open your mind to a film that breaks the mold of storytelling, you might be pleasantly surprised that you come out the other end of this surreal bombshell with a film that you've absolutely fell in love with. I can't recommend this movie enough to any and all cinema lovers.

5 out of 5 stars      A Fantastic Experience Like No Other!

REVIEW: Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run
Director: Tom Tykwer
Year 1998


Run Lola Run is an off the rails, pulse pounding German film that follows a young woman by the name of Lola, played by my favorite German lass Franka Potente, as she struggles to deliver 100,000 Deutschmarks to her endangered boyfriend before he decides to rob a grocery store for his lost funds. Franka is amazing in this movie and she left quite an impression on me when I first viewed this film back in college for one of my History of Film courses. Her vivid performance along with her equally vivaciously flaming red hair was just phenomenal. Her portrayal of the character Lola and the actual film has stayed with me ever since that first viewing.

Caller: What are you wearing?

Lola: A grey tank top with red hair.

Caller: Oh. Sexy.

Director Tom Tykwer really melds this story of second chances (and third chances) with a vibrant eye and fervent ear. The story blasts forward, pushed by a constantly kinetic techno soundtrack voiced by starring actress Franka Potente as she blazes through the streets to save her boyfriend. This is one of the best soundtracks that I've ever heard. The unrelenting bass and striking beats, paint such an intense visual image that it accompanies Tom Tykwer's stirring imagery to help make it into a modern marvel of cinematic delights. This film is felt and heard just as much as it is seen.

A striking shot of a red phone, mimicking Lola's wild hair color.

Our story starts out with Lola getting a phone call from her desperate boyfriend named Manni played by the always watchable Moritz Bleibtreu. He has lost 100,000 Deutschmarks on the subway and the people the money belongs to are not too happy. Manni tells Lola that he has 20 minutes until the money is due and if he doesn't have it by then he's in for a world of hurt. He also says that if she can't find the money in time, then he's going to rob the grocery store across the street from where he's calling from. 

There's some pretty interesting angles in this film.

Like the looking up Manni's nose angle. Sweet.

Lola desperately wants to help, so she springs into action and sets off to find a way to obtain the cash. The sequences where she is running through the city on her way to her father's bank are excellently shot and spare no expense on the flare of the moment. These lively shots married with the equally lively music make for some astonishing and memorable instances. These are the moments the film thrives on and once the wheels are set into motion, there's nothing to hold back the story from unfolding as it rushes by at break neck speeds.

With a title like Run Lola Run, did you really

think you weren't going to see Lola run?

What makes this film so impressive, visuals and audio aside, is the concept of giving the main character a second chance to obtain her intended goal of saving her boyfriend. We are treated to a recurring theme as Lola fails to save Manni and then is granted a chance to start her day over and see if she can change things up and succeed. Watching each day begin anew and witnessing Lola as she interacts with the world around her, learning from her previous mistakes, is quite enjoying and enthralling to see play out. Her choices not only effect her life, but the people that she passes, as she travels through the city.

Between each ending and restart, we are given an intimate conversation between Lola and Manni as they lay naked in bed, glazed over by a reddish hue that burns onto the screen. These moments are precious because it's the only real reaction we get between the two lovers and it's a great way to show how much they care about each other. It brings their love story front and center and reminds us why Lola is doing all she can for this man. They're great moments.

Looks like it's the red light special for Lola and Manni.

This play on second chances is really intriguing and yet it's not something that's possible in the real world, but the film is put together so perfectly that it's accepted as possible in the reality that Tom Tykwer has created for the parameters of the film. You could ground it in a concept like time travel, like in the film Timecrimes that I reviewed earlier on this blog, or you could give it a more supernatural aspect like in Christopher Smith's 2009 Sci-Horror, Triangle, which I will be reviewing also. Both ways are great and work for each film, but with Run Lola Run, Tom Tykwer opts to go the more free form route and abstractly throws out the concept to the audience and allows the journey the characters take to sell us on the idea of second chances. It's never written or spelled out for us. We are just taken on faith that this is the way it works in this world and I personally think it gives the film a more poetic leg to stand on.

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta!

This poetic approach moves throughout the film, transforming the story into a modern day fairy tale. All the characters seem birthed from some kind of fantasy while they all have interconnecting stories that never veer far from each other when Lola begins trying to change the layout of their paths. Everyone converges back to each other and all are effected no matter how differently the story unfolds. It's a refreshing tale and told with such whimsy and spirit that it fits perfectly.

Get your filthy hands off my car you damn dirty red-haired freak!

The shifting narrative is quite amazing, but each time you see the futility of it all as Lola again fails to save her boyfriend. The simple idea of an ever changing repeating story is brilliant alone, but Tom Tykwer adds the much needed detail to make it stand out as something far more special then the run of the mill groundhog day effect films. He proceeds to show in quick flashes of still images, the lives of the people that Lola touches. Each person's life is changed drastically, both in good ways and bad, just from a simple decision like jumping over a dog in the stairwell rather then tripping over it and tumbling down the stairs causing you a few precious seconds as you pick yourself up. That small detail adds to a changed world, one that Lola enters out into, over and over, to make things right.

Many of Lola's attempts end in tragedy.

There's also a few quirky elements that add to the feel of the film that Tom places into his editing. For instance, there's a recurring sequence that happens right after Lola hangs the phone up and leaves her apartment. We are treated to an animation of Lola as she descends the stairwell dealing with various things before plunging into the real world as she exits her apartment building. It's a strange choice but one that brings a certain flavor and a likable quality to Lola's character. Almost as if she sees herself as some super hero cartoon on her way to save Manni. The quick segment is cute and it contributes well to the tempo and lucid spirit of the film.

Lola in bug-eyed cartoon form as she starts on her recurring journey.

The obstacles that Lola has to hurdle on her way to saving Manni are all set up with brilliant pacing and genius ingenuity. Traveling alongside Lola in all her desperate follies and inevitable victory is such an enjoyable ride and one that Tom Tykwer has logically put together with great respect to the material that he has birthed. This epic journey is one that is original and genuinely full of spirit thanks to the impeccable direction of Tykwer and the superb acting skills of both Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu.

Cue the Spice Girls song, "When Two Become One".

Run Lola Run is a film that you truly must see. There's something special and magical about the whole thing and the film brings a spirit with it that has not been seen many times in the cinema world. Tom Tykwer wrote and directed a film that will cement himself in the eyes of his fans and any that come to know this beautifully intimate film. In a world where nothing is certain and the path to save the people we love is always cloudy, its captivating to see a film that tackles such heavy subject manner and is able to do it with such flare and visual pizzaz that it instantly wins over any cynical mind and makes you believe in the miracle of cinema. This film does all of that and it's a must for anyone that has a love for movies and stories of the human heart.

5 out of 5 stars        An Energetic, Pulse Pounding, and Vibrant Love Story