Lola Rennt (1998)

Maybe it’s because I saw this movie when I was a video game-playing, MTV Generation high school student, but Lola Rennt (or Run Lola Run for English-speaking audiences) continues to be one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s an unrelenting, 81-minute thrill ride that has all of its ducks in a row.

The plot is quite simple- Lola, Franka Potente (whom fans of the Bourne trilogy will recognize) gets a call from her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). Manni has been working for some powerful crime bosses and got his first test. He received a payment of diamonds for some luxury cars and exchanged the diamonds for cash. Unfortunately, he left the satchel of cash on a train and he’s got 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Marks or his boss will kill him. With this, Lola leaps into action and the audience can only hold on for the ride.

Fueled by an almost non-stop, toe-tapping, if not foot-pounding, electronic soundtrack and adrenaline-inducing action, Lola Rennt manages to be a little bit of everything. It’s a thriller for sure, as we’re constantly reminded of how much time is left on the clock. It’s also an emotional drama, as we see short side scenes where Manni and Lola share their insecurities with each other. Last, but by no means least, Lola Rennt is a thinking man’s film, touching on themes of free will vs. determinism and the importance and insignificance of money.

Probably the most intriguing aspect of the film is its three-part structure. We actually watch Lola make three different attempts at her run. Are our characters stuck in a time loop? No. Director Tom Tykwer is merely out to show how every single decision we make from departing Point A, every little thing that we do, can snowball into a drastically different result when we finally reach Point B. For some, it’s far too heady a concept for an action film but most people will be transfixed by it. Tykwer’s set up demands repeat viewings so you can catch all the little details and how they change with each of Lola’s runs.

Lola Rennt will thrill you, shock you, give you a few warm fuzzies and make you think all in 81 minutes. This is a movie that knows not to overstay its welcome because it knows that you’re going to need to go back and watch it again. The slim runtime perfectly allows for that. Pretty impressive for a foreign film that will require you to read subtitles (I abhor overdubs and advise against such lazy viewing tactics). In fact, the characters and action do most of the speaking through their actions. You could probably watch this film without the subtitles and understand most of it.

The film never passes judgment on Lola and Manni’s involvement with organized crime but it also doesn’t condone it. In fact, it’s only used as mechanism to set up the action. Moralists might complain but they’ll be missing the point. In time of crisis, all that matters is keeping your head above water.

A tour de force that you won’t soon forget, Lola Rennt is easily one of the best foreign films I have ever seen. Had I not taken German in high school, I probably never would have discovered this film. What a scary thought! Watch it, love it and watch it again!

RATING: 4.5