MovieChat Forums > Lola rennt (1999) Discussion > I enjoyed it, but could have been better...

I enjoyed it, but could have been better if...


I did enjoy this films, but there were a few things that I felt could have been done better:

-I think they should have chosen whether to go down a serious/comical route, it seemed like an unbalanced mix of both. I would have preferred something as tense as maybe Phone Booth, but kept in the arthouse style

-The cartoon scenes ruined any tension, they just felt a bit unnecessary, and they could have been better animated. With Lola and Manni dieing it seemed a bit of a weird inclusion, it made Lola's runs seem like a casual jog.

-The idea of the flashforwards was good, but it was done with the wrong people. Like the woman with the pram really didn't relate much to the story, it would be better if these flashforwards were for the main characters, or maybe affected Lola's runs (kind of butterfly effectish)

-I think with these flashbacks and the animated scenes, not really enough time was spent developing Lola and Manni's characters. It would have been interesting to know more about them, particularly Lola, from her flat and appearence shes seenms an interesting character.

All that said, I did enjoy Lola, and I'm a big fan of the cinema du look films which this borrows from. I would give it maybe a 7-7.5/10, but I really wanted to like it more.

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Wow, I enjoyed this movie exactly because of the things that bother you!

There wasn't much comedy to begin with but it doesn't hirt to have some lighthearted themes. Also, don't forget that this takes place in Berlin. You probably can't know but people in Berlin are a lighthearted folk that keep their head up even in grim situations.

The cartoon scenes were a nice addition and part of the style. It's important how they change from version to version.

And you are absolutely wrong about the flashforwards. You mentioned the butterfly effect but didn't draw the correct conclusion! This is all about the butterfly effect! In one version she bumps into that woman and the other version she don't. And the flashforwards show how big the impact can be. It's utterly important that the flashforwards are made for bystanders and side characters to demonstrate the true nature of the butterfly effect! And that does not only apply to the flashforwards, the entire plot is built like this. Watch it again and maybe take notes who does what in each version. The gangsters, the guard, her father, the father's secretary, the bum - every single character here is dependant on the actions of the others. Remember the very first cartoon? It's Lola and the dog in the stairways. One time she is scared, one time she jumps over him, one time she barks back. It takes here a different amount of time each take and that means she will or will not bump onto the woman, will or will not slide over the hood of the gangsters and so on. And this in turn will have effects later on: Is the secretary able to tell her father that she is pregnant before Lola interrupts them? Will the gangsters be early or late so that they can have an accident with Lola's father's coworker? This movie is all about the butterfly effect and that's why the flashforwards are dedicated to "random" people.

Manni's and Lola's characters are explained very well throughout the movie, mostly through their actions but also during the scene between their deaths (when they lie in the bed). You just have to pay attention to detail and you need a certain amount of knowledge of human nature.

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