Free Rainer (2007)

Frustrated, because he is forced to produce bad TV-shows, a manager of a TV-station, enters the station and manipulates the ratings, to initiate a TV-revolution.

Director:

Hans Weingartner

Writers:

Katharina Held, Hans Weingartner

Stars:

Moritz Bleibtreu, Elsa Schulz Gambard, Milan Peschel

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Rainer Kuhhirt
Elsa Schulz Gambard	...	Pegah (as Elsa Sophie Gambard)
Milan Peschel	...	Phillip
Gregor Bloéb	...	Maiwald
Tom Jahn	...	Bernd
Andreas Brandt	...	Karl-Heinz
Robert Viktor Minich	...	Harry
Ralf Knicker	...	Sebastian
Irshad Panjatan	...	Gopal
Simone Hanselmann	...	Anna
Doris Golpashin	...	Showmoderatorin (as Doris Goldpashin)
Peer Jäger	...	Gründgens
Us Conradi	...	Frau Arnim
Franziska Knuppe	...	Maiwalds Freundin
Vinzenz Kiefer	...	Junger Kollege - Titanic Show

Storyline

Frustrated, because he is forced to produce bad TV-shows, a manager of a TV-station, enters the station and manipulates the ratings, to initiate a TV-revolution.

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Plot Keywords:

rating | media landscape | television habits | car accident | television addiction | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de]

Country:

Austria Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

15 November 2007 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Reclaim Your Brain

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

€2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coop 99, Kahuuna Films, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hans Weingartner:  Network creative #2 in the conference scene near the end.

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Quotes

Rainer Kuhhirt: Nobody out there is as stupid as the shows that we produce.
Maiwald: BUt then I'M wondering, who is buying these Britney Spears CDs.

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Connections

References Dr. Sommerfeld - Neues vom Bülowbogen (1997)

User Reviews

Way to ruin your reputation, Mr. Weingartner

With "Das weiße Rauschen" and "Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" Hans Weingartner was well on his way to become one of the most promising Austrian directors. Then he goes on to make this movie and his talent seriously has to be questioned.

"Free Rainer" seems like the story an over motivated class representative would think up. The little message that the movie has got - most of what's on television is stupid - is driven home with a mallet. The conclusion - people watch whatever is on, and if you give them "intelligent" television they'll be more than happy to imbibe it - is implausible, to say the least.

The acting and editing are awkward for the most part. The usually mediocre Gregor Bloéb shines as a sleek program director, but the rest of the cast is forgettable at best. From the get go, when Rainer (Moritz Bleibtreu) drives through the streets, drinking Vodka, toting a gun and a baseball bat, listening to "aggressive" music (Downset's "Anger"... Jesus Christ, you seriously live in the past, Weingartner), you can't help but wonder: Is this meant seriously? Is it just a dream sequence or something? Is it going to get better? The answers to those questions are Yes, No and No.

"Free Rainer" is an embarrassment, a career shatterer. Its intentions might have been good, but the result is a boring, unbelievable and annoying movie, that wishes it could maintain the anarchic power of "Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei" (which is awkwardly referenced as a "quality" movie in "Free Rainer"). Weingartner's next project will have to make up for this mess.