Honolulu (2001)

Directors:

Uschi Ferstl
Florian Gallenberger

Writers:

Uschi Ferstl (writer)
Florian Gallenberger (writer)

Release Date:

19 July 2001 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Ford Mustang | Jump From Height | Nudity | Birthday Present | Old Photograph

Cast

Peter Bechtel	...	Itze
Daniel Brühl	...	Marek
Shira Fleisher	...	Laura
Eva Haßmann	...	Franziska
Julia Hummer	...	Julia
Aleksandar Jovanovic	...	Omid
Markus Knüfken	...	Ewald
Philip Koestring	...	Nico
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Cleonise
Stefan Maaß
Mehdi Moinzadeh	...	Ismail
Jochen Nickel	...	Horst
Isabella Parkinson	...	Charlie
Chiara Schoras	...	Nadja
Mina Tander	...	Giulia
Anna Thalbach	...	Rita
Markus von Lingen	...	Dominik
Steffen Wink	...	Kiki

Also Known As:

Romeo & Julia 2000

Runtime:

90 min | Germany:84 min (25 fps) (TV version)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | Turkish | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:MA (cable rating) | Germany:12 (f)

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Soundtrack:

Touch Me

Fascinating, funny and touching

Episodic movies by various directors are usually not a good idea. Different ideas, different minds and different styles can often lead to a mess, because the movie itself lacks a coherent feeling (best or worst example would be "Four Rooms" or also the "99 Eurofilms"). Considering this "Honolulu" is even more surprising, since it feels complete and sure of itself which is quite an achievement with 7 writer/directors.

The movie succeeds on two levels. First are the actors which include a lot of popular young and older german "stars" but not exclusively. Star or not, all of them deliver excellent and courageous performances.

Second the movie has some great stories to tell, which cross each other more or less, but can be seen as independent stories with different messages and attitudes. Generally it is about men and women, love and sex, decisions in life and breaking out. Each story basically consists of two different kinds of people meeting each other, having an impact on each other's life. A butcher who can't kill meets a rich woman who wants more from life. A lonelyheart meets a mental hospital inhabitant. A girl whose friend has broken up with her meets a wise guy. Two teenage girls who want to and do know about sex meet two guys who want nothing but sex. An old drunk who likes to talk about sex meets a young drunk who likes to talk about sex. A bus driver on her way to Honolulu meets a survivor of a car accident. These unusual combinations lead to often surprising storylines with sometimes unexpected outcomes.

But the best episode is the first starring Daniel Brühl as a lonely bus station attendant and Chiara Doras as a party girl. They meet each other in a really unconventional way and their story unfolds never as predictable as you would think. It's especially Brühl's performance which lifts this story above all the others. The way he tries to hold his little life together, living alone only since a short time, is really impressive.

I never understood why every German movie has to feature nudity (both male and female), but this movie is no exception. I'm not against nudity, especially not if it's as appropriate as in "Honolulu". But the difference between the German will to show nudity and the American fear of it is always astonishing.

Summing up "Honolulu" is a truly satisfying movie experience, not at all depressive but rather uplifting and optimistic. It is about people finding happiness in an unhappy life and I can't think of something more important for our lives than happiness.

3.5 out of 4 / 8 out of 10 / Rating 2 on a scale between 1+ and 6-