Berlin Calling (2008)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

"Berlin Calling" is a German 110-minute movie from 7 years ago. Writer and director is Hannes Stöhr and it is probably his most famous work until today. I also saw his more recent "Global Player" and definitely preferred that one. "Berlin Calling" takes us into the world of electronic music focusing on DJ Ickarus, played by the successful artist Paul Kalbrenner. However, I was not impressed. He certainly is not a trained actor and I cannot take this film seriously from that perspective. There were several really intense scene, but they all left me rather uninterested, especially those about the main character's drug abuse, basically from start to finish. The actress who plays his girlfriend was as bad as the one who played the lesbian relationship. No idea what they were thinking with this sub-plot. Probably grasping for straws in terms of including sex to lure people into theatres. It probably would have helped if they had at least been attractive.No idea why this film has such a good reception and why a decent actress like Corinna Harfouch would appear in here. This was not an amateurish-looking effort, but also not a particularly good one. In my case, it probably doesn't help either that I really do not care for electronic music, one of my least favorite genres. Very forgettable film, in which I never felt for the character. Not recommended.

This movie deals with 2 topics I don't care much about: DJs and drug rehab. It does it so well that at the end I came out wanting to listen to the only electronic music CD I've got, and I read on a famous Psychiatry manual about amphetamines. Music is great. So is the way it's interspersed with the story. The contrast between his "interior world" and the outside. Like when he made the psychiatrist listen to his music: it was a bit loud for her, consequently to us, so that we notice. Then when he took out his perpetual headphones, the music was gone. Music transmitted I's subjectivity, his mental states so to speak.Characters: Ickarus is fine as a narcissistic and shallow "being" with just a gift for something. When the shrink asks him if he ever read about Buddhism (given he mentioned "reincarnation") or when he saw she wrote a book about famous artist who were also drug addicts, he just didn't care). Mathilde was barely there. I wonder if her mouth is "natural", but she's sexy enough even with that stupid Adidas outfit. Her role just lacks "something" (transmitting any feelings?), but is nevertheless believable at least. She's "his woman", but is not exactly crazy about him at all. In fact, at his first act of violence, she outright leaves. And I, as a Latin American perhaps, was surprised at how little emotions do they show to each other. She is shown crying when he had a relapse, but when sitting on a bench, she is distant, talking about her girlfriend as if she changed shoes. Then when he's out and in again at the clinic, she's not even there. Finally they're together. She dropped gorgeous Corinna. There it goes, she changed shoes again :). Beautiful Alice is right on track. His psychiatric hospital mates are fine, specially Crystal Pete. Prof. Dr. Petra Paul is gelid and coolly detached, but in her context, that's probably what they are like. She swallows insults from I. & M. like we'd take a diet Coke. We only see her really communicate with I. once, the "fly trapped on the glass" scene. Not much for somebody who's supposed to help, but her "directive" scenes, like when she is leading the "movement therapy", or when she appears in the middle of the night with the guards during I's induced mayhem are fine. She is just "efficient" at putting limits . Social Psychology: I've realized in this film I saw no feelings whatsoever. Neither family, love, friendship, nothing. Not even good sex. Yes, the menage a trois is well, but even that doesn't satisfy I. (at all). I wonder what would. Or how would he be when older. "Living of social security", like the only sound phrase he ever uttered (threw at his brother): you study at your 20s, work in your 30s and live off the state from your 40s on. I's family structure is also weird coming from a Latin American like me. His Bach loving Vater is concerned but only shows up once at the hospital, talks with the shrink after he relapsed twice in the film. He never offers him to live with him, SOMETHING, besides a "moving" hug. Same or even worse for his brother. Definitely, Germans are colder than most of us! His "social explanation" on how "the fall of the Berlin wall did harm to people" is OK for a dad but poor for a movie. If things were like that, half of Eastern Germany would be junkies :)! Philosophy: Morally, "Hungarian" Mathilde is the only "straight" character of this parallel world, without any "bad" attitude. Maybe the director/ writer's favourite? Like when Alice proposes her to be the manager of another DJ and she, predictably, and showing remarkable bad acting stills, starts to recite: "It's about Ikarus, I don't care for a job!". Surprisingly enough, a bit later she ends up working at the door of the club. Economics: Which takes me to how poor this world is. The (big) club owner asks her: "what do you want, "door or bar?". These are the only 2 jobs available, besides the DJ. How sad. The hospital, even with means and personnel that one would only dream of here in the 3rd world, is nevertheless shown like a sad barren place to be. Again, a cautionary tale, specially because it just doesn't mean to. Sociologically interesting, specially living in other parts of the world where both that and the fact that the state covered most of I. expensive treatment in private, clean cells, with only about 5 inmates in the whole facility makes me brood: even in a lunatic asylum you live better than most Third World dweller.Everybody who is at the club is on drugs (even the owner, and, of course, the dealer). The blonde who is after Ikarus looks fine on the dance floor, but yawning in the morning when she pops up at I's home right before his big album presentation... she is the image of despair. The dealer and her look like people without anything to say, a ruin even when young. This is a nice film to show to people who think drugs are or could ever be "cool", by the way. Without being "didactic", in the sense that, for instance, he does throw away his pills and still "perform like if nothing has happened". When somebody offers you drugs, think: Do I want to be wandering inside the subway's rail, perpetually giving my money to some idiot just to be "high", then be very depressed out of nothing, and even when treated, so sleepy that I cant' tie my shoes or (untreated) think that standing up on the subway is a "trip", something that deserves a rotating camera/ "whew" feeling. Great film! Watch it on a theatre with good sound, it surely delivers punch after punch. And I don't mean only the music.

Does a movie need to provide answers or is some room for interpretation sometimes the better choice? Berlin Calling does not take the bait to occupy the moral high ground. Instead it is an authentic movie about the music and party scene in Berlin, including its „dark side": drugs.In a way this movie does not have a beginning and no end, it is an ultimate extract of life – life in the electronic music scene in Berlin.The pace of the story is fast, almost like the rhythm of the electronic beats - an awesome soundtrack. Berlin Calling is authentic and entertaining movie with great acting and fantastic directing.The movie feels „(a)live" and to followers of electronic music this is a definite must-see. The only criticism that Berlin Calling may have to accept is that self-experiencing the Berlin party scene may still be better.

I was fortunate enough to view the screening of this movie in Toronto on September 7th. I too have to agree that this movie should have been selected for the Toronto International Film Festival.The movie portrays the life of techno dj as it really is including: gigs, relationships, record deals, touring and drug use. This is the closest you will get to real life. As one of the above users stated anyone who is from the Hardcore/Underground can tell you that this movie will bring quivers up your spine as to how real it portrays.From beginning to end this film is non stop action. An extremely talented cast mixed with a great direction and an incredible soundtrack made for probably of my favourite films related to e-music to date.