Wer früher stirbt, ist länger tot (2006)

Director:

Marcus H. Rosenmüller

Writers:

Christian Lerch (writer)
Marcus H. Rosenmüller (writer)

Release Date:

17 August 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Eine unsterbliche Komödie (An Immortal Comedy)

Plot:

Marcus H. Rosenmüller's first feature movie deals with a boy thinking that he is responsible for his mother's...

Plot Keywords:

Death | Family Relationships | Claim In Title | Philosophy

Awards:

8 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Markus Krojer	...	Sebastian Schneider
Fritz Karl	...	Lorenz Schneider
Jürgen Tonkel	...	Alfred Dorstreiter
Jule Ronstedt	...	Veronika Dorstreiter
Saskia Vester	...	Frau Kramer
Franz Xaver Brückner	...	Franz
Hans Schuler	...	Graudinger (as Johann Schuler)
Sepp Schauer	...	Proske
Heinz Josef Braun	...	Gumberger
Tim Seyfi	...	Kaffl
Pia Lautenbacher	...	Evi
Klaus Steinbacher	...	Toni (as Klausi Steinbacher)
Johanna Bittenbinder	...	Mutter in der Sprechstunde
Monika Manz	...	Kassiererin im Supermarkt
Alexander Liegl	...	Notarzt

Also Known As:

Grave Decisions (Europe: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:6 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Berg Wendelstein, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Movie Connections:

References Madagascar (2005)

Soundtrack:

Out Of His Mind (2)

Black and Bavarian

I was a little wary of this movie, German comedy is often too shallow and unimaginative. But Rosenmüller went the other way instead, choosing to make a deliberately whacky and funnily dark movie about a kid seeking immortality to escape eternal punishment for his mother's death. That's a great concept, the movie plays it for what it's worth and the Bavarian setting in all it's strangeness helps a lot. For me, there is a problem, though: the leading role. Finding a 11-year old who can act is hard, I personally can think of only one or two movies with boys figuring prominently that they didn't sink. Girls seem to do a better job of it somehow.

Anyway, Markus Krojer is no exception to the rule. His acting is wooden, he barely seems to be able to act his role rather than himself (or at least it seems like that. Never met him.) He's just a kid, so no blame there, but it hurts the movie.

Fundamentally, Bavarian comedy is an exception from the "Germans have no sense of humor"-rule. At their best, they live up to the Brits. "Wer früher stirbt..." is proof of that once again.