12 Nov 2008

Rabbit Without Ears

Original Title: Kein Ohr Hasen

Director: Til Schweiger

Language: In German with subtitles

Starring: Til Schweiger, Nora Tschirner, Matthias Schweighoefer

Release: 2008-11-12

Actor Til Schweiger is the Brad Pitt of Germany . Tall, handsome and buff, he became famous overnight after starring in the 1994 gay comedy Der Bewegte Mann (The Most Desired Man). Since then, he's stayed at the top of the fame game and has ventured into producing and directing.

Rabbit Without Ears is his second directorial effort, and we're pleased to tell you that it's rather good. A well-crafted and amusing - if somewhat formulaic - romantic comedy, it stars Til as an arrogant womanizing reporter who gets into some trouble and ends up in court. He is sentenced to 300 hours of community service in a creche for kids.

There, he meets the nerdy Nora Tschirner, who had been humiliated by him years ago when they went to the same school. She wants her revenge and is determined to get it. At first, she gets the pleasure of watching him flounder helplessly around the kids. But little by little, she starts to fall for him and he for her…

Yes, it's all very predictable but also very cute. And since we're on the subject of cute, both Til and Nora are extremely cute. Til is still swaggeringly sexy, while Nora combines sheer beauty and comedic sense to devastating effect. You can't help but like both of them.

So, considering how bad Hollywood romantic comedies are these days, you might as well make this a date movie - even if it is in German and you'd have to read subtitles.