Summer '04

Summer 04 tells the story of 12 year old Livia (Svea Lohde) who is staying with her boyfriend Nils (Lucas Kotaranin) and his parents Andre (Peter Davor) and Mirjam (Martina Gedeck) while her parents vacation in Mexico. As the film opens Livia has been out sailing with older man (I'd say mid 30s) Bill (Robert Seeliger) who she has just met while out with Nils. Nils has not gone with her and apparently does not mind and Livia will spend more time alone with Bill. Mirjam thinks this is a bit inappropriate and confronts Bill about it. Despite more or less accusing him of being a paedophile, Mirjam decides to go out boating alone with Bill while Andre goes out alone with Livia. (Nils again has decided to stay at home). Strangely Andre does not seem to find that his wife is going out alone with a younger man. From there the plot just gets more convoluted and confusing.

The real problem with this film is that the characters motivations don't make sense. Ultimately this film is building up to a twist of sorts and the writer and director seem intent on reaching that point irrespective of how much logic there is in the journey to get there makes. This is director Stefan Krohmer's first feature film and his inexperience really shows. There are whole scenes with little or no point. One scene must lead up to Andre driving past Nils who is on a bike. To get there we go on a journey with Andre to the local recycling station where we see him painstakingly sorting out all his recyclables before getting back in the car and finally driving up to Nils. Did we really need all of that? I really can not recommend this film at all. It's disjointed, jumps around and for most part is just boring and worse, confusing. 3/10.

"Summer '04" (2006 release from Germany; 97 min.) opens with two teenagers returning from a bike trip in the countryside. We learn that it is 15 yr. old Nils and his "girlfriend" Livia, all of 12 yrs. old. Livia is staying with Nils and his parents, Andre and Miriam. The next day, when they go out sailing, Nils decides to come home early, and instead Livia is going sailing with Bill, a thirty-something former sports manager in the US who has recently returned to Germany. What exactly is the nature of the relationship between Livia and Bill? or for that matter between Livia and Nils? At this point we are just 10-15 min. into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, the utter laisser-faire attitude of the family towards a potential friendship or relationship between 30-something Bill and 12 yr. old Livia is outright shocking. Here is Nils, the supposed boyfriend who couldn't care less what Livia does or doesn't do, with or without Bill, showing no concern or jealousy, I mean none. His standard response to any and all gentle questions from his mom or dad is: "None of your business!". Really? Is this a portrayal of real life mores in contemporary Germany, or is this some fantasy in the writer's mind? Second, assuming you can overcome the first hurdle I just described, the movie is actually quite good, in particular as the 'plot' starts to thicken. It kept me guessing as to what direction all of this would be going into. The movie's Big Twist comes just over an hour into it, and one that I truly did not see coming at all. It sets up what I had expected to be a riveting last 30 min. and I still wasn't sure how it would all end. I'm obviously not going to spoil the ending. All I will say is that it came as a huge letdown to me (and hence I cannot rate this film higher than 6/10).

I was browsing the foreign film section at my local library the other day in pursuit of hopefully something good to watch. Didn't really know much about the movie and took a flier on it. It worked out okay but not great. About the best thing I can say is that it kept my interest as the movie unfolded. Strictly for foreign movie aficionados.

Currently playing at the 2007 German Film Festival in Apr 2007 in Australia Summer 04 was the first of about 5 German films I will see in the 10 day festival in Melbourne. http://www.goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/ff07/enindex.htm

Most festivals one film will be the standout. With 2 down and 3 or 4 to go I think this is the one.

Really enjoyed all the main performances, namely Martina Gedeck as a late 30's, early 40's woman, the very handsome mid 30s Bill (Robert Seeliger) and the stunning looking Svea Lohde who plays a 12 year old girl in this movie but whose character in some ways is more mature, self assured and worldly. With the relaxed moral views of the parents in this movie and the early sexual maturity portrayed here and accepted by the parents especially the Dad it's hard to say whether she's Lolita-like or not. Development wise she looks the age of the character and yet her outlook is more like someone in their later teens. I consider myself very liberal but on age of consent issues this freedom could raise an eyebrow or two. I've never really understood fully the concept of complete personal freedom. Of course here in Australia the age of consent is still 16. In Europe perhaps it's lower?

But very nice locations, interesting story, the gentle pace of summer, some sizzling sex scenes and the way the movie pans out in the finish. A very satisfying film that shows a clean pair of heels to most French films that are very good at this genre. Put it this way, Martina's character could have been played by Charlotte Rampling if this was a French movie and Charlotte was about 40 at the time. But this is to take nothing away from Martina's performance.

I'll be looking for more work from these main actors. And I wonder how the other Australian reviewer managed to review this movie back in 2006. Especially how or where he got to see the movie or obtain the DVD. Perhaps the Melbourne 2006 Film Festival. Must keep my eye out for any German entries in this in the Jul 2007 one.

The time of adolescence is always a troubling one for parents, and the worry may be just as great for those in loco parentis and dealing with exceptionally intelligent but precocious young teenagers.

Miriam and Andre are a well-educated middle class family on holiday at the Baltic coast with their 15 year old son, Niels, and his 12 year old girlfriend, Livia. All four of them are good at handling boats, which plays a big part in the story. Although both children are coping with their hormones and attitudes towards sex to varying degrees, Miriam feels especially protective towards Livia, whose openness can easily be mistaken for flirtatiousness. Livia strikes up a friendship with an older man, Bill, after going sailing with him. He seems responsible and respectable, but Miriam is concerned when Livia announces she is staying over at his house. Her initial doubts seem unfounded, but then she finds herself in an unexpected triangle, competing with the young girl for Bill's affections.

From gentle, idyllic beginnings, Summer '04 builds into edge-of-the-seat tension as we are concerned first for Livia, then watching in fascination as Miriam is drawn into an impossible scenario. Bill's attempts to maintain his distance are balanced like a knife edge, and a seemingly minor accident at sea throws everything into confusion. To top it off, a surprisingly beautiful and very touching ending humbles us with the unexpected depth of insight of one of the characters.

Summer '04 hits the mark with actors that perform as if there is no camera there, lush countryside that makes you want to put your feet up, gripping action as the two women struggle to handle the boat, and a refreshing absence of background music. Simmering sexual tensions rounded off with heartbreaking tenderness make it a tour de force for all lovers of European cinema.

The sudden switches between breakneck action and slow, languorous camera-work could be off-putting to mainstream audiences, but there is plenty of thought provoking stuff in Summer '04 for those who can be bothered.