An extremely fast paced movie about a
German girl who must find a way to get 100,000
Deutche Marks in 20 minutes or else some
drug dealers will kill her boyfriend. Three scenarios, all really cool, of how she does this. Kind of like a
techno version of
Sliding Doors.
The most noteworthy aspect of this movie is not the plot, but rather the style in which it is shot. The movie combines regular film, digital video, still photography, and animation all into one movie. Combined with a high paced and energizing soundtrack, this movie is one of the most memorable movies to be seen today.
The digital video aspect of the movie is significant. Whenever there is a scene where Manny or Lola is not present, it is in DV. The quality difference between normal film and DV is very noticable. This technique shows the bond between Manny and Lola, for when they are not there, the rest of the world is not clear or realistic. When either Manny or Lola enter or are in the scene, it immediately cuts to normal film, to show the reality of her world.
The use of still photography is very innovative. There are several insignificant and minor characters who are shown in the movie, but their entire future is revealed to the audience in a matter of seconds by a quick sequence of still photographs. The animation is used at the beginning of each segment, showing and stressing the crazy and surreal world of Lola.
All in all, an extremely memorable film. Extremely original and worth seeing more than once. In addition, here are some facts about the movie that people may not have known or missed:
-The blind woman who gives Manny a phonecard, and later directs him towards the man who originally took his money is in actuality the actor's mother. Moritz Blibtreau and his mother are both well known movie stars in Germany.
-The scene where the ambulance shatters the huge pane of glass is shot by having a small piece of dynamite detonate and shatter the glass before the vehicle hits it. This is noticable if you watch the bottom of the pane in that scene. There is a little flash before the glass shatters.
-The woman chanting in the soundtrack of 'I Wish' is actually Franka Potente, the actress who plays Lola.
-In the accident scene, where Lola's father and Herr Meyer crash into the muscleheads and hit a guy on a mo-ped, the guy on the mo-ped who gets hit is the same guy who stole Lola's mo-ped at the beginning.