A peak at the new millennium. As far away as it may feel, the end of the ‘90s was a time of seismic cultural shifts and collective apocalyptic anxiety. The impeachment scandal roiled the Clinton administration, Princess Diana’s sudden demise dominated headlines across continents, and Y2K paranoia made the potential collapse of society loom large.
The decade’s pressure-cooker energy gave rise to one of the most innovative eras of independent and international cinema, with films such as and propelling filmmakers like and into the spotlight. One movie in particular, though, a shot of adrenaline straight out of Berlin, encapsulates the sinking feeling of running out of time that defined the looming millennium, and its frenetic presentation can be traced to its impact on the contemporary indie scene. At an unbelievably brisk 80 minutes, the brilliance of is in its deceptive simplicity.
Ember-haired Lola (Franka Potente) receives a call from her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who’s lost 100,000 Deutschmarks meant for his cutthroat gangster boss. She has exactly 20 minutes to scrape up the cash before Manni becomes a memory, prompting her to take off on foot through the streets of Berlin in a desperate bid to save his life. But as Lola discovers, hers is a quest of trial and error.
Every fatal mistake respawns her in the Rat Race Simulator, and the clock never stops ticking. The narrative’s cyclical and undemanding nature allows writer/director Tom Tykwer to play to h.
