Berlin Junction

Germany 2013
produced by
Alexandra Von Der Heyde, Olga Jácome (executive), Detlef Tress (executive), Jan Wewelsiep (executive) for Ex Film Collective
directed by Xavier Agudo
starring Marcel Romeijn, Dharmander Singh, Stephen Patrick Hanna, Nina Tratz, Monique Amado, Anka Graczyk, Daniela Lucato, Agnela Collins, Alexandra Zoe, Luise Schnittert, Bobby Aviles, Paul Salamone, Wilson!
written by Xavier Agudo, based on a story by Xavier Agudo, Alexandra Von Der Heyde, sonfs by Goldfish, Mona La Phona, Jackrabbit, Icy Furey, Tsunder, Wilson!, Ghostandthesong, Tiny White Radio, Goleminlove

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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Jos (Marcel Romejin) is a Dutch painter who has moved to Berlin to live with his girlfriend Lana (Nina Tratz), whom he's totally in love with ... until she tells him she's pregnant, which totally throws him off the track, which in turn only infuriates Lana, who now lets loose about Jos's unstable lifestyle, his inability to provide for them or do any decent work, and so on and so forth, which in turn hurts Jos, and the two of them get into a big argument with the result that Lana throws Jos out of her apartment.

Jos seeks advice from his two best friends (who might only be aspects of his own self), the world wary cynic Gotti (Stephen Patrick Hanna), who'd rather have nothing to do with him and tells him to get a hold on himself, and the fun-loving party-as-if-there's-no-tomorrow Luci (Dharmander Singh), who encourages him to forget about Lana already, live in the now, have fun, do drugs, have meaningless sex with whoever, you know the routine. He also argues it's better for his and Lana's offspring to have a father who's never around but (s)he might consider as a hero than an asshole father he's sure Jos will be who's always around.

Jos chooses Luci's advice over Gotti's, parties hard, does drugs, scores with the ladies ... but that also means hangovers, disorientation, mood swings, and the necessity to get last night's lay out of his studio he presently sleeps at. And since he has no money, he tries to pay for his food with his paintings. It gradually dawns on him that the lifestyle might not be all that he has made it out to be, but it's a lifestyle hard to give up with your best friend dragging you from one party to the next ...

Berlin Junction is a rather unusual independent movie, inasmuch as it combines elements of a relationship drama with stoner movie mainstays, a story arc about self-discovery with a trip to the Berlin partyscene, and even some comic interludes. All this creates a fascinating mix that still manages to tell a very coherent story - which is all the more remarkable as the film was 100% improvised on the spot. But the actors are all top notch, and the direction is spot on, so as to tell a really compelling but also entertaining tale of losing and (maybe) finding oneself.

Totally worth a look!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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