Undescribable Perfection

From my favorite movies..

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The first review I read of this movie criticized the camera work. I wonder why? For an indie production, this was a surprisingly high quality film and nowhere near as jerky as, say, Cloverfield. If you tend towards sea-sickness and have been avoiding watching this film for that reason then rest assured that there is no need to bring a sick bag to the viewing. Having said that, I found the Edukators to be a well developed character drama that pulled the carpet out from under my feet just when it started to get too comfortable. The three central, activist characters have perfect amount of cynicism, idealism and vulnerability. Their views never came across as preachy, merely pragmatic. But then I'm left wing, so I guess I would say that - however, the 'other side of the story' gets a chance to be heard in the form of Mr. Hardenberg. As a child of a baby boomer I found him to be a familiar character, full of his generation's mournful sense of complicity in corruption. The only complaint i had is that the action drags a bit towards the end, but this is compensated for by the clever twist at the ending. It's hard to find a story out there that actually contributes emotional depth to the 'capitalist vs. socialist' debate instead of focusing on rhetoric. That's why I am thankful to the makers of this film for contributing such a solid story to the mix. I would definitely recommend it to any activist friends who want to think beyond the next demo and/or leafletting session.

While the story kept my interest all throughout the movie, it still left a bitter taste in my mouth. The socialist crap those three youngsters were babbling all along was annoying. Unfortunately, the director is obviously on their side, because the only character who could have countered their opinions with facts and real experience was their kidnapping victim. But that poor fella just stays nice and is kind to them, for reasons not obvious enough to me (clearly he didn't want to get hurt, but once they are in nature's paradise, all three turn out to be quite tame). The victim never criticizes their childish and naive arguments, even though he was a guy who obviously was a "Been there, done that" (Generation 69, as people of his age are called when they were part of the Hippie and Protester Generation in Germany). It is true on the other hand that many people let go of their ideals along the way, and that adults settle all to quickly for the easy way. So the interaction during the kidnapping is quite intriguing. Spoiler coming: However, their conversations lead to nowhere, because not one character develops along the way, nobody shows a least a slight improvement. Or as the three characters state it delicately on a piece of paper: Some people never change. Sadly enough, Weingärtner didn't notice that the same accounts for his story telling and its lack of character development.

One of the 2 films i manage to catch during the German film fest w my friend is The Edukators, incidentally both films has this actor Daniel Bruhl in it. The Edukators started off w 3 young adults who are very involved in protesting for their rights and opposing capitalism in their country, trying their own ways to influence the country into listening to their voices. Other than protesting on the streets, the 2 guys have another way of showing their capability in influencing the society. By breaking into rich houses and re-arranging the furnitures without taking anything and leaving a note saying 'The Days of Plenty Are Over'. One of the couple are lovers to start off with and slowly the plot reveals that the other guy acted by Daniel likes the girl too and started to involve her into their nite activities which ended in a very awkward manner: The owner came back! During this part of the film, i was getting a little bit irritated already due to the girl's clumsiness and inability to heed instructions. Then i slowly realise that actually this is the point the plot starts to become really really interesting and will end w a simply great twist. Dun really wanna reveal too much of the ending but highly recommended to watch this film for reasons like the great Germany hillside sceneries (beautiful!), cute actors (ok, towards the end of the film, i switched from liking Daniel to really liking Stipe Erceg (the chiselled-chin guy)), funny funny one-liners, and of course a fantastic ending. Overall a great German film not to be missed!

The Edukators presents itself as a dark comedy aimed at deconstructing contemporary bourgeois society with a satirical wit. At surface value the films tells the story of self- proclaimed revolutionaries who break into German villas to execute their own political agenda. Rather than with Robin Hood tactics of give and take, or rather take to give, the Edukators simply rearrange the possessions found within the houses they enter; their goal is to strip the wealthy of the false sense of security they procure through financial stability. The film is sure to surprise as its hidden layers unfold and suddenly poignant moments arise. The filmmakers aim to invoke in their viewers a political voice and an urgency to take action. Referencing past revolutionaries and utilizing contemporary music as a stimulator, the film speaks on behalf of an archetypal counter-culture while avoiding any sense of melodrama or impracticality. In addition the narrative touches on a variety of universal themes that include but are not limited to self-discovery, love, friendship, betrayal, and morality. The film maintains a subtle level of sentimentality that allows piercing moments of suspense to rise to the surface while social implications strike the viewer in a meaningful but not overbearing way.