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"Born
to 'Run'"
by Scott Mantz
"Run Lola
Run"
Franka Potente,
Moritz BleibTreu
Directed by Tom Tykwer
When it comes
to cars and films, sometimes foreign is the best way to go. If you
don't believe me about the latter, then check out "Run Lola Run"--a
film so fast and furious, you forget you're watching a movie with
subtitles. The notion of how one small action can change your life
is nothing new ("Its a Wonderful Life", "Sliding Doors"), but this
time it has a fresh new look. "Run Lola Run" is "Sliding Doors"
on acid. With its razor-sharp editing, hyper-kinetic pace, and a
killer score, it's a Martin Scorcese film for the MTV generation.
Lola (Franka
Potente), the unlikely post-punk heroine, has exactly 20 minutes
to come up with 100,000 marks (about $50,000), or her boyfriend
Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) is a dead man. It seems he forgot what
was in the bag when he left it on the subway, just to be claimed
by a homeless derelict. Facing imminent death, and furious at his
own blunder, he's desperate enough to rob the local chain store
to pay off his mobster boss if Lola doesn't come through, and fast.
Third time may
be a charm, but this time its a lifesaver. We see the scenario played
out three times until she gets it right, each time bursting with
irony. Each version differs because of alternate actions taken.
The consequences are extreme, especially to the passersby she comes
into contact with. In a split second montage of Polaroid snapshots,
we see their life stories played out with different outcomes--some
disastrous, others hilarious.
Even more ironic
is the relationship between Lola and Manni. Manni may be a mixed-up
drug-runner, and Lola's home life may be a mess, but they obviously
have a strong bond. They are not people that you'd necessarily want
to be friends with, but everybody loves to root for the underdog.
Lola, the tattooed, cherry red-headed heroine (think Elizabeth Shue
on a bad hair day) is the ultimate underdog. Her determination and
desperation keeps you rooting for her.
It's this approach
that gives "the road not taken" premise a much-needed facelift.
The soundtrack underscores the film like a pulse. By jumping from
animation to live action and using different film stock, German
filmmaker Tom Tykwer keeps the repetition from becoming mundane.
The filmmakers
of the next generation are under enormous pressure. If they don't
have the Tom Hank's and the Harrison Ford's attached to their films,
then most likely the big studios won't finance and distribute them.
Being hampered by budgetary constraints, filmmakers can come up
with alternate ways to shoot their movies, and out of adversity
an exciting film like this is born. In this case, it's born to run.
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