A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * * · ) DVD Rating: ( * * * * * )
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Just after Pulp Fiction came out, everyone started in with the reviews of "in the shoes of Pulp Fiction" and "Pulp Fictionesque". It almost got to the point where people started in with "great, another Pulp Fiction" as if it was a chain of asteroid movies. Really what it did was open new doors for film genre's. We now have a whole bunch of films that break the stanard Hollywood protective barriers and linear storylines. We can have hard edged characters that are far from role models. We can have plotlines that jump faster than the frames of the film. There have been a lot of wanna-be's but there have also been a lot of really creative films that use this new door as a spring board. Run Lola Run is one of them. This is a German film about a key point in the life of a girl. She must get $100,000 in 20 minutes or her boyfriend will die. During the film we see the situation from three different paths. As a single event can change the story, the plot shifts and the outcome of the 20 minutes is different. Even as Lola runs through the streets, the paths of people she encounters change sometimes very drastically. The movie is like taking a scientific look at the butterfly effect without seeing only one outcome. Aside from the very original story idea, we are given a true feeling with the movie. From Lola's bright red hair, tattoos and heart pumping German club music to the dark and dismal lives of those she encouters the film really breathes a life of its own. My only possible flaw would be in the dialog which loses much of it's feeling in the translation from German. The DVD is excellent with two Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks, one in German and the other in English. I reviewed the English version since I didn't want to miss the visuals. The picture is a very sharp 1.85 to 1 16x9 enhanced cut. There is also a commentary track, music videos and more as suppliments. Overall, a very creative movie and an excellent DVD. Another perfect example of what can happen when we break the traditional barriers of film.