NVA (2005)

Director:

Leander Haußmann

Writers:

Thomas Brussig (screenplay)
Leander Haußmann (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 September 2005 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

German Democratic Republic | Military Service | Soldier | Prank | Satire

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kim Frank	...	Henrik Heidler
Oliver Bröcker	...	Krüger
Detlev Buck	...	Oberst Kalt
Jasmin Schwiers	...	Marie Kalt
Annika Kuhl	...	Schwester Sonja
Ignaz Kirchner	...	Futterknecht
Maxim Mehmet	...	Aurich
Robert Gwisdek	...	Traubewein
Philippe Graber	...	Stadlmair
Daniel Zillmann	...	Mischke
Torsten Michaelis	...	Hauptmann Stummel
Uwe Dag Berlin	...	Lenk
Ralf Dittrich	...	Laucke
Steffi Kühnert	...	Frau Heidler
Katharina Thalbach	...	Röntgenschwester Inge

Also Known As:

NVA - Manöver Schneeflocke (Germany) (working title)

Runtime:

Germany:98 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White | Color

Certification:

Germany:6 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich)

Filming Locations:

Bad Düben, Saxony, Germany

Company:

Boje Buck Produktion

Trivia:

NVA is the abbreviation for "Nationale Volksarmee" (national people's army), the army of former East Germany.

Nice try but not as good as it could have been!

Here's a short summary of N.V.A:

Jung Henrik Heidler (Kim Fischer) wants to serve his time in the military as inconspicuous as possible. His comrade Krüger (Oliver Bröcker) in contrast will try anything to oppose his superiors and prove that he is definitely not a soldier. But none of these two strategies comes out even: Henriks girlfriend brakes up and he falls in love, again, with in another girl, while his friend and comrade Krüger has to pay the price for his rebellious behavior towards his superiors and their ideology.

My comment:

Well, I just saw this movie and I must say I it didn't really knock me off my feet. It has some funny moments in it but all in all I can tell that it's not really my kind of humor. The jokes are not subtle enough as I would have liked it in connection with the topic, everything is just too obvious and that seems to make it a comedy that is too much dull. The topic itself, I think, is good and interesting but the film couldn't convert this properly. I always have lived in West Germany so I don't really have an appropriate idea about the NVA. But I can imagine that these jokes are based on actual customs and probably experiences of Leander Haußmann. So, if you forget the jokes this might be a good and authentic movie about serving time in the NVA .

But one thing that was really, really bad in this film was the acting of Kim Fischer. You see, this guy is the singer of a German pop band named "Echt". His music is not my taste either but this is just the way I feel about it. But this guy just shouldn't act and I am sure that everybody who saw this movie will agree. Maybe he just needs some more practice and experience (this is his first film). But he definitely wasn't ready to play a leading part in a big German blockbuster when they shot NVA .

Altogether I give it 5 points.