Ricky: Three’s a Crowd (2013)

Every day life presents many sources for cinematic inspiration. In the 2013 German Coming-of-Age flick Ricky: Three’s a Crowd, Director Kai S. Pieck tells the story of an imaginative ten-year-old Ricky (Rafael Kaul) who faces problems many kids his age have to deal with at one point or another: bullies, troubled parents, and an uncooperative brother who doesn’t want him hanging around (but has nothing against using him as spy to get as much information as possible about a girl who lives in the neighborhood, etc.).

As indicated by the title of the film, it’s not only Ricky’s rite-of-passage experiences that are being explored. His 15-year-old brother Micha (Jordan Elliot Dwyer) is desperately trying to win the heart of the girl of his dreams: Alex who is somewhat self-sufficient, and is playing hard to get.  Alex has some issues of her own. The biggest one is the fact that she doesn’t know anything about her father, and her mother refuses to reveal his identity or anything else about him.

Following not only one, but three young peoples’ Coming-of-Age experiences is an intriguing approach that allows for different viewers of the film to find a character they can identify with. The film’s story is told in a family friendly manner, targeting the younger age group.  Admittedly, on a first watch, Ricky: Three’s a Crowd delivers a somewhat disappointing viewing experience.  Aside from a few good scenes, the lack of tension, suspense and any real dramatic or worthy acting performances results in a bit of boredom. In essence, one would expect to see films such as this on some cable channel, but I would skip any DVD releases or cinema screening.

Trailer ( in German )