I just finished watching the German film Blode Mutze. I had been trying to find this movie for a while as I am a big fan of this particular genre. I found it yesterday, and I finally got to see it today.
‘Until he moved to the small town of Bellbach, 12-year-old Martin’s life seemed to be okay, but then suddenly he is confronted with an unexpected reality: his first love and Oliver’s fist. Pretty complicated! But Martin fights for what he believes in: for Silke and against Oliver, and finally for the friendship of both.’
It is a fantastic coming-of-age film that depicts such truth and actuality in its themes that it would be hard for someone not to get attached to the plot and the events of the characters. Our main protagonist, Martain, was a great little character, and one that I believe represents everyone at that stage in our lives. He is presented with obstacles and conflict arises for him throughout the film. We see how he tries to overcome not only his problems but also those of the people around him. I thought the director beautifully depicted this and the way his character development and relationships flowed was also great to watch. I found there was some symbolism in this film and representations of the emotions or the themes of the characters, which added nicely to the story.
This brings me to the actual plot. It was a simple story told profoundly and engagingly, which made you easily connect with the characters on an emotional level.
The acting was superb. Johann Hillmann as Martain, Konrad Baumann as Oliver and Lea Eisleb as Silke were all fantastic as the three main characters. They made it seem like you were watching their young lives unfolding — as if you were a part of it. They were all very impressive.
On the technical side, all the locations were simple but very nice. Some great technique in the use of the camera and the editing was also noticeable in some scenes when contrasting the lifestyle differences of Martain and Oliver, which I found very interesting. The musical score was all fine and fit nicely with the mood of the film.
Overall, one of the sweetest coming-of-age films I’ve seen and one that I think we all could relate to in one way or another. Yet again, another fantastic film that has come out of Europe.
Rating: 8.5/10
-PhoenixEast
The review of Blöde Mütze is a guest contribution of PhoenixEast