A Coffee in Berlin 2012

     This black and white film features one day in the life of Niko Fischer, he lives in Berlin and he’s 20-something years old.  Niko has been collecting money each month placed in his bank account by his father for his expenses in law school.  What his father doesn’t know is that Niko dropped out of school two years ago.  He lost his driver’s license due to 0.7 on an alcohol test.  He went to a psychologist to try to get the license back but he was unable to pass the interview tests.  Nico gradually begins to view himself as an outsider and he needs to face the fact that he’s a slacker.

     The title is A Coffee in Berlin but Niko never seems to be able to get a cup of coffee?  He doesn’t have enough money, the coffee thermos is empty, they are out of coffee, etc.  He goes with a friend to see a play that I am so glad I did not really have to watch.  He doesn’t have money for the train and the “train police” want him to pay 40 Euros for not having a ticket.  This film may have a lot of “insight” and feature “profoundness” but I found it to be very slow and boring.  Nothing is happening in Nido’s life so how can nothing be exciting and entertaining?  2* (I didn’t like this film)

83 min, Drama directed by Jan Ole Gerster with Tom Schilling, Katharina Schuttler, Justus von Dohnanyi, Andreas Schroders, Katharina Hauck.

Note:  Imdb 7.5 out of 10, 72% critic 76% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Metascore 63/100, Variety 80/100, Washington Post 75/100, The Hollywood Reporter 70/100, Village Voice 60/1, New York Observer 25/100.