Lauf um Dein Leben - Vom Junkie zum Ironman (2008) Online

Real life is the best storyteller. This was proved again when I watched this film in a test screening. I am not the biggest fan of German productions and was really surprised that this one could compete with Hollywood. The story was interesting and very dramatic but also had its funny moments. I once read an article about how Andreas Niedrig got to the Iron Man and this was impressively shown in the movie. His struggle with drugs, friends and family makes you think he would end up dead before his 30th birthday. But he managed to change his life. This movie shows that love, friendship and support from the family mostly is the only thing to help you out of hopeless situations which gave me personally a very good feeling at the end. And I'm really looking forward to seeing this film again.

Usually I am no fan of German movies. Most movies that come out of my country are "conservative" and boring. This movie suffers a bit from this disease as well. The whole plot could have been told more drastic and more touching. For a German movie though, it was quite emotional with mostly great music and a great atmosphere. Acting was far above other German movies. (Which doesn't exactly make it great.) Especially Uwe Ochsenknecht and the main actor Max Riemelt have been impressive. The language rocked. (I can only speak about the original version here.) I really liked the how the story was told. Only a few sentences felt a bit weird and misplaced.

A great movie, a bit too optimistic for me, but very unusual and entertaining.

There is only one thing less suited to base a movie upon than a video game: Real Live. This might put me in a be bias position, but this movie lost me at the opening credits when it said "based on a true story". What followed where 90 minutes of pure agony. After the first 10 minutes everyone had problems, not one of them could attract my sympathy or even interest in their character and the blunt overacting would have put William Shatter to shame. The plot - boy takes drugs, boys life gets destroyed, boy manages to overcome his addiction and criminal ways by becoming really athletic - was really lame and predictable. It's basically the movies title. The over-acting was terrible. Everything everybody did became so overly dramatic and important (when it really really wasn't) that I actually began to feel ashamed for watching this.

My final recommendation: If you like watching movies that look like they were made for late night TV, about people whose only function it is to have and express problems normal people really can't relate to: Go for it. If you, like me, go to the cinema to be entertained (on whatever level) stay the **** away!