In the Aisles (2018) User Reviews

I want to work with them "In the Aisles".

[MplusA92 · 8/10 · 2 December 2018]

This movie has a unique nature, it will move your mood to a different level ,it will ring a lot of bills and it will make you wonder a lot about life.

It starts with a beautiful "Johann Strauss" music, then we will be taken into a journey between the aisles of a supermarket, this journey starts with the process of hiring a new employee "Christian", then the events follow to know more about the routine of the employees and their habits during different occasions.

The performance of the actors is the best here, they look as normal people we see everyday, their reactions are normal or not cinematic so they give you the feeling that anyone of us can be in their places.

The background of each character is introduced in a simple way, and to a sufficient extent.

Most of the events happen in the supermarket, but there are some external scenes. However you may wish that all the events remain in the aisles as they have a unique magic that attracts you.

The movie has a message about life that is delivered in a very simple way, but not all of people may catch it in the first time.

The directing added a lot to the nature of the movie, there's a great attention to details and this is clear in the connection between the final scene and the scene in the 9th minute.

Finally, if you ever wondered about the life of people in IKEA or any supermarket, then this movie is recommended for you. You may feel it's elongated as two hours movie, but you may wish if it could stay more. It's not boring and rewatchable.

Between the shelves

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 30 May 2018]

"In den Gängen" or "In the Aisles" is a new German movie from 2018 and one of my country's big players awards-wise this year I think. Director is Thomas Stuber and he worked again with his longtime collaborator Clemens Meyer, who is the man in charge of the original short story this film is based on. Looking at that origin, it may be a bit surprising that here we have a movie that runs for over two hours in fact. Stuber's last theatrical release was maybe the career-defining work for actor Peter Kurth and so nobody can really be surprised that he is on board here as well again, even if only in a supporting role. The one surprising thing is perhaps that he did not receive any awards recognition this time. The heart and soul of the film is Franz Rogowski though who won a German Film Award for his portrayal of Christian, an ex-convict and lonely man who starts working at a building center where he quickly manages to make an impact on all his colleagues including the experienced worker who trains him (Kurth) and a female worker from the sweets department who is stuck in an unhappy marriage apparently and ends up as a potential love interest for Christian. I think the one thing this film manages really well is how it succeeds in combining the cold, almost sterile environment of these building center alleys, with a certain sense of longing and romance even, but eventually tragedy too. As for Rogowski, he is perhaps Germany's most wanted actor right now if we ignore those starring in stupid self-inportant sex comedies like Schweighöfer, M'Barek and Schweiger to a lesser extent. And his work here is really where he won me over for the first time. The voiceover parts did not do too much for me, but the performance and how he did so much with so little dialogue from start to finish (he is in pretty much every scene) was truly impressive. Hüller is fine too as usual and she is of course known to many for her role in the Oscar-nominated Toni Erdmann. But back to this one here. The writing is spot-on most of the time, only struggles in those really dramatic moments a bit, like most of all the scene when he quietly enters her apartment. Another example would be the suicide near the end and maybe it could have been a better film without that. Then again, the elaborations afterward in the scene when we see them all mourn or also the references about how Kurth's chacracter lied about his wife mean additional depth and room to discuss his character and how tragic he was overall. I did not expect it though, even if in retrospective the meeting at his place and how much he wants it to happen and all the details going along with it like how much he says he misses the road are on a level where it really should not surprise anybody anymore. But it did surprise me. The final shot with the hugging moment on the forklift was nice too and a good reference back to the comment on how 2 people should not be on it, I especially enjoyed that training session part earlier on. Still I don't think it was the perfect way out, I would have preferred a picture of Rogowski's face from up close while Hüller's character hugs him. There is a bit of a happy ending for sure as we see that the two are a couple obviously eventually and that is a bit typical following the tragedy before that. I also liked Kurth's character's comment about how Hüller's character needs one to treat her kindly earlier which she herself always seemed to hide a bit with her easy-going comments and jokes about the "Frischling". So yes, this definitely was a film I recommend checking out. Greatness maybe not, but Rogowski's extremely likable turn here was the only thing thatg deserves more than 3 stars out of 5. Overall, however, there's also nothing in here at all that felt like it rang false or anything. Quality film, reliable from start to finish and at this running time, it is always a success when a film drags almost never. This description certainly applies to this one here. Go see it if it plays near you, also abroad. It's an exhibit how German cinema still delivers quality. You just need to look closely and not fall for those films you may see first starring some of those actors I mentioned, like Fack ju Göhte. Now as for this one here, I give it a positive recommendation without hesitating. Thumbs up. Watch this truly authentic movie.

Life today

[Sachin_Chavan · 8/10 · 11 September 2022]

I think it's a very aesthetic representation of life in aisles as in the assembly line (not much different in the cubicles). Didn't feel the darkness was exaggerated. You feel for the characters and then you think of yourself too. And of life today. The store itself is masterfully shot... the tall roofs and small aisles... for those working there, that's the sky and the streets. An existential film!

Needs a bit of existential acceptance to watch such movies. And an eye for the aesthetic... or else one might find it too gloomy. The direction is top notch. And the actors are such a great fit, they look like they actually work there. Marion, just like for the hero, is a welcome sight whenever she is in the frame... and she is used just optimally to make you feel the otherwise dullness of the place and work broken only when she's around. The mentoring relationship is another aspect very well-covered. Just to show that there's always some brightness and some warmth in the darkest and the coldest of places.

Well, not all bad,, but also as strong as i expected

[Aktham_Tashtush · 6/10 · 18 November 2018]

The screen play surprisingly won best screenplay awards in Athens and Berlin international festivals ,,, The sad truth is the script is sooo slow ,, spread over two long hours which could have been a really good hour 20 minutes top...

The plot is genuine and somewhat purposeful and kinda sad with its harsh truth at some scenes , but the movie had some gabs and definitely more than few unnecessary dull moments.

The cast was perfect though,, Franz Rogowski was perfect for the role with his weirdness facial expressions and voice and Sandra Hüller I loved her in the Oscar winner movie of 2016 "Toni Erdmann" and here she did well.

final thought,, i watched the whole thing with subtitles so if you speak German you might have enjoyed it better than i did ,, but for its meaningful message i think the movie is somewhat recommended .

totally lonely but romantic

[g-82113 · 7/10 · 28 March 2020]

You can even hear the sound of the ocean if you really live your normal life

In den Gängen

[blackeyed0225 · 7/10 · 5 March 2023]

In Thomas Stuber's austere drama about the lives of supermarket employees in Germany, Strauss' 'The Blue Danube' conveys the lyrical magic of forklifts skating amidst the vast rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves, paying homage to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Introvert Christian (Franz Rogowski) has a chequered past but finds work as a shelfstacker at a Costco-style supermarket. He's urged to hide his tattoos and wear his name tag to maintain the company's clean-cut image. Assigned to the beverages department, Christian finds a trusty mentor in no-nonsense veteran Bruno (Peter Kurth), who schools him on the politics of 'forklift conflicts' and who patiently trains him to drive pallet jacks in between smoke breaks on the sly.

Christian's first time operating a pallet jack is a wry exercise in slapstick. Possessing a reserved charm, Rogowski makes the meek Christian likeable with a largely physical performance of bashful turns of the cheek, wistful glances and approving nods. Christian's frequent encounters at the coffee machine with Marion (Sandra Huller) from the Sweets aisle sends tongues wagging, but their innocent flirtations barely crack the ice. Upon learning of Marion's martial unhappiness, Christian's wounded vulnerability compels him to self-medicate with alcohol to numb the pain.

Stuber would have done well to play up the romance angle to give his inert film more energy and direction, but that's not the goal here. 'In The Aisles' celebrates the human connections formed in the daily grind of work. Christian and Bruno bond during smoke breaks, looking out to the world beyond from behind a wire fence, with the older Bruno reminiscing of Germany before reunification when he used to drive trucks, recalling the landmarks that were markers that told him home was close. Stuber is careful not to turn it into a battle cry against the collossus of global capitalism, but the bleakness hangs over like a dark cloud nonetheless. 'In The Aisles' handles tonal shifts well, and by adding deadpan jokes to undercut the gritty, urban gloom, its shades of light and dark are sketched with convincing realism; however, more laughs to cut through the grey wouldn't have gone astray.

Great German lower class drama

[rolandpopp · 9/10 · 23 June 2020]

If you can't imagine how to make an impressive film out of the everyday life and work of a supermarket staff, you should watch this film. This is of course not inconsiderably due to the two - as always impressively acting - main actors Franz Rogowski and Sandra Hüller (plus a no less brilliant Peter Kurth), but ultimately the decisive factor is the warmth and sympathy with which the writer/director Thomas Stuber draws his characters under the most adverse circumstances (= the monotonous work in this juggernaut of a supermarket with its endless aisles and towering shelves) treating each other warmly and respectfully and occasionally celebrate the small unauthorized freedoms. The delicate bonds between Hüller and Rogowski are so adorable in all their clumsiness and speechlessness, nothing more is wished for them other than the main prize in the lottery and great luck. I don't give away too much, I think - everything will turn out differently, of course, but you will still be able to dream and it is and remains a wonderfully charming film.

Miles and Miles of Aisles and Aisles

[Minnesota_Reid · 10/10 · 7 April 2019]

This was an excellent movie about the importance of comradeship and the dignity of work even in a menial job in the modern mechanized and dehumanized work space. The bonding between an steady older man and a young man with a past trying to find his place with the world was very touching. In that, it reminded me of the excellent movie 'Spring Forward' with Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber.

The physical setting is fascinating. Our guys stock the shelves of some sort of super grocery store where there are endless aisles and the stacks of crates loom 40 feet up in the air. It's like the warehouse at the end of 'Raiders of the Lost Arc', but it's just a grocery store.

Minor note -- even when the guys dream of leaving the aisles, it's to go to other isles, like Ibiza. But I suppose that's an accident of English, not something intended by the German filmmakers.

Beautiful storytelling and photography

[aliciatamayog · 10/10 · 1 January 2021]

The story is built up well. You are put into context for a while before things get going. Some may consider this "slow", but I liked it. Nice storytelling.

I really liked the photography of the film, it was great art!

Very good actors.

The view down

[beatrock-97080 · 5/10 · 2 March 2021]

The view from the educated middle class on the low-wage sector. Good actors, beautifully photographed. But much too klishee and looked at from the outside.

Thank you for the truth!

[michaelasilov · 10/10 · 17 September 2020]

Thanks to Franz Rogowski and Sandra Hueller, I trust in every minute of this movie. How hard is to get up. And what happens when you cannot get up. Zero effects. But leaves the deep memories.

Beautiful drama with a dreamy Workplace

[hatakegrayson · 10/10 · 7 January 2019]

The story is nice and the environment of the story is it's key aspect. The characters are unique and nice. The workplace is shown in a well detailed manner and makes you want to work there and be like these normal people in the store.

Menial, Trivial?

[westsideschl · 8/10 · 13 February 2020]

One might think working in a club warehouse stocking & stacking pallets of goods to feed the consumer market would be menial & trivial, but like all things there lies hidden complexity. To some it's a second chance; to other it's a dead end job (literally). Well acted; engaging. Notes: (a.) I liked the Delta Blues' Son House song's lyrics, "a true friend is hard to find."; "Yes, but bear this in mind." (b.) I wonder to what extent jobs be displaced by robotic cashiers, inventory takers, stackers & pullers? (c.) Sadly, for the environment, I didn't see any indication of recycling or repurposing.of anything.

Verrrrry slow mmmoving

[chbrasso · 3/10 · 13 October 2018]

I had high hopes for this movie and there were a few funny moments, especially when the manager talks about the rivalries between the departments. Otherwise the dialogue is very slow with lots of dead space between sentences. Couldn't believe how the woman could have been attracted to such an underwhelming guy. It was clear he had some mental issues but despite this, couldn't see how they could have had any chemistry. The setting was very bleak, as they spent 90% of their time in the warehouse/store. Also felt it was strange when he followed her to her home-quite creepy. Also too long at over 2 hours. Could have been cut by an hour. Take a pass on this one.

A down to earth romantic comedy with a great Franz Rogowski performance

[scheevers-50200 · 8/10 · 13 February 2023]

Been on a recent binge of the great Franz Rogowski films after seen him in the excellent Great Freedom (2021) recently. And while In The Aisles isn't quite at that level of film, it still is such really sweet, funny but also dramatic German rom-com.

Rogowski plays a ex con Christian, a quiet but kind young man with a load of tattoo's that show his past criminal life. You starts new job in Supermarket. He ends up with Bruno (excellent performance from Peter Kurth) in the drink section. But also ends up falling in love with Marion (Toni Erdmann's Sandra Huller) a married woman in a abusive loveless marriage.

The acting is great all round, even the smallest parts are memorable. Huller is really sweet and likeable in a slightly smaller and low key role. If you go in expecting the romance to be front and centre of the film you be disappointed. Huller does disappear for good parts of the film. Which makes the film even more impressive that romance between Christian and Marion is rather sweetly done. Kurth as Bruno, is great as well.

But this is Rogowski film all the way, and he doesn't say much at all. He's basically the German Joaquin Phoenix, not just cause both men have a Cleft Lip. He gives everything to his performances. The scene when he first meets his ex gang matches in the supermarket, that scene really shows his acting talent. Along with the scene at the Christmas work party with Marion.

Again it's a film that's way better then it's 6.9 rating here. I think it's strong film, maybe at 2 hours it's maybe 20 minutes too long, but you forgive the film that as it's got it's heart in the right place.

Secret lives of supermarkets

[RSt_2022 · 9/10 · 8 January 2024]

I have often wondered what happens in supermarkets at night. Who stocks the shelves? What happens to all the food that cannot be consumed? Who are all the people who work there to get things organized? Now I have my answer. And a beautiful one at that. Sometimes gut-wrenchingly sad. Sandra Hüller and Franz Rogowski are outstanding, and Peter Kurth is brilliant. So many emotions, so few words. And I never thought forklifts would engage me so much. Individual stories are stacked onto one another, creating a landscape that breathes with life. Much like the shelves. Somehow it all fits together. The drinks bottles, the coffee dispenser, the candy bars, and the freezer section - all have a role to play in the story. In the hands of Thomas Stuber the story takes on many twists and turns - much like the forklifts winding through the aisles. This has been one of the most surprising and satisfying films I've seen in a while. My supermarket visits will be a whole new experience from this point on.

Can be understood as a political allegory

[gabridl · 5/10 · 26 December 2020]

Rudi = former East Germany. He has a criminal past (Communist government). Marion = Germania, the German nation. She's married to an abuser (West German government). She loves Rudi (East Germany) but can't be with him. The big box store = capitalism. All the East Germans (staff of the store) are now trapped in it. Rudi's friend, Bruno, felt freer back when he was truck driver working in a Communist economy. Bruno kills himself because Communism died. Marion entices Rudi with the illusion of freedom and happiness (the sound of the ocean). Rudi falls for this illusion. But is he really happy, now that he's abandoned his criminal friends? The bleak landscape (= history) offers an realistic answer.

Thanks a bunch!

[bombersflyup · 2/10 · 10 January 2020]

I can't see how In the Aisles is even a film, it doesn't go anywhere.

Joaquin Phoenix's other recent roles have been similarly empty :). With amateur performances, it's a dialogue driven workplace drama with a main character who barely speaks. So it's the other character talking and nothing happening, but day-to-day operations and a non-existent romance. I've worked in a similar setting to this and a film need not be made about that either.

very slow film

[ad16-1 · 4/10 · 13 January 2020]

Interesting premise of a film, undone by low energy of lead actor. Difficult to imagine what the older female lead would see in the new employee who barely speaks throughout the movie. Rest of supporting cast was good. Overall, i recommend viewers take a pass on this one.

It's lingered for me & I like lingering films

[cedartrees8 · 4/10 · 26 July 2019]

A small, secluded, somewhat enmeshed society, that has a process for acceptance, and does it in a pleasant, playful and encouraging way. And, still through all that, one of them commits suicide, unbeknownst to any of his friends/associates/comrades. They mourn. And then embrace each other more endearingly.