Tough Enough (2006)
"Knallhart" (original title)

When Miriam splits up with her wealthy lover, she and her 15-year-old son Michael have to move from posh Zehlendorf to run-down Berlin-Neukölln. The boy finds friends in his new ... See full summary »

Director:

Detlev Buck

Writers:

Zoran Drvenkar (screenplay), Gregor Tressnow (screenplay),

Stars:

David Kross, Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen, Erhan Emre

9 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Kross	...	Michael Polischka
Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen	...	Miriam Polischka
Erhan Emre	...	Hamal
Oktay Özdemir	...	Erol (as Inanç Oktay Özdemir)
Kida Khodr Ramadan	...	Barut
Arnel Taci	...	Crille
Kai Michael Müller	...	Matze
Hans Löw	...	Kommissar Gerber
Jan Henrik Stahlberg	...	Dr. Klaus Peters
Amy Mußul	...	Lisa
Georg Friedrich	...	Holger Hagenbeck
Marc Zwinz	...	Strippe
Henriette Müller	...	Jule
Eva Löbau	...	Elke
Fabian Krüger	...	Rainer der Künstler

Storyline

When Miriam splits up with her wealthy lover, she and her 15-year-old son Michael have to move from posh Zehlendorf to run-down Berlin-Neukölln. The boy finds friends in his new neighborhood, but at school he is victimized and pressed for money by Errol and his gang. Handing over money from a burglary rather serves to encourage the bullies instead of warding them off, so Michael is desperately looking for a better solution.

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Plot Keywords:

school | bully | automated teller machine | barber shop | hookah | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site (German)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

9 March 2006 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Tough Enough

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Boje Buck Produktion, WDR/Arte

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When returning from their burglary at Klaus' mansion, Michael and his two new school friends can be seen sitting in a subway whose cars are openly connected so that you can walk the whole subway from one end to the other without passing a door (which is a newer model of "U-Bahn"-trains in Berlin). When the three boys leave the train at the station, the subway model suddenly has changed. The type of cars you can see from the outside then cannot be walked continuously from one end of the train to the other. Instead those (older) cars are separate units connected "one by one" externally - to get to another car you would have to leave through the side doors and enter the next car the same way.

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Soundtracks

"E-Pro"
Performed by Beck

User Reviews

Gripping

This film really got to me, probably because it was almost perfectly realistic. The characters are brilliantly drawn - no simplistic goodies or baddies. The setting, in the not-so-wealthy suburbs of Berlin, is very believable.

Full marks for the acting and directing. There are some gutwrenching scenes in this film. I won't go into the details because I don't want to spoil a thing, but both physical and emotional violence are portrayed with an alarming conviction. I wish more film makers could achieve this instead of resorting to comic book fights or glossing over the brutal reality.

I sincerely hope that this film is released internationally, and that it escapes the censors' scissors. It would be a shame if only German-speaking audiences could see it.