For writer-director Hans Weingartner, the question is: While today's youth should fight back, against what and how? It's a conundrum that the three young Berliners in his film debate and act upon, with mixed results. Roommates Jan (Daniel Bruhl, of
Good Bye, Lenin!) and Peter (Stipe Erceg) break into fancy homes and re-arrange the furniture. Peter's girlfriend suggests hitting the home of a wealthy man to whom she owes a huge financial debt, and typically, once the personal is introduced into the political, things go awry. In the film's more meditative second half, the film leans toward indicting the gang for today's crimes of romanticism, self-interest and an ennui borne of easy affluence (though yesterday's heroes also take a hit). Weingartner shoots exclusively on handheld cameras which gives the film a lively looseness that works, even as he eventually succumbs to his own romanticism about meaningful rebellion.
In German, with subtitles. (AH)