The Ordinaries

Why do I prefer to frugally dose mainstream American films every time I watch or program movies? Because in international cinemas I find more variety, less formulaic and repetitive stories, and more original motion pictures, with less arrogance, violence and sex (of all kinds), and more concern for humanity and its well-being.

I have added to my recently watched list of very good movies the German comedy drama «The Ordinaries» by Sophie Linnenbaum, where all people are part of an elitist cinematic universe, divided into Outtakes, Extras, and Leads, all under the control of a repressive and exclusivist Institute. The Outtakes (referring to the shots discarded or not used in the editing of a film) are in black and white, they are pursued by "law enforcement agents" and rejected by the Extras and Leads. Extras are those who are always embellishing the shots, like players on a football team, soldiers in a troop, waiters, customers, firemen, policemen, nurses. The Leads dominate this universe through a despotic, racist and oppressive rule, and hold all management positions.

In the plot, Paula, a teenage Extra studying to be a Lead, is looking for her father. Her mother, who is also an Extra, assures her that her father was a Lead and a martyr of the Great Massacre, an event that is later defined as a revolutionary uprising of the Outtakes. Her best friend is Hannah, the mulatto daughter of a family specialized in musicals who, at the slightest provocation, begins to sing songs as bland as those in most musical comedies. With Hannah's help, Paula enters the Archive of this universe and discovers that there is no trace of her father, not a single piece of film, not a single flashback, which should not be the case because her father was "a Lead and a fallen hero during the Massacre, who protects her and her mother, hidden between one take and the next shot."

Paula begins a search and asks Hilde, the maid of the musical family, to help her. The maid is, in fact, a Casting Mistake, a mature man who was given the role of a maid and goes around most of the film dressed as a woman in a subversive attitude against the Institute. Simon, a young and sweet Outtake with whom Paula becomes friends, offers to help in the search.

The film (and its humorous or highly revealing film references) may not be fully understood by an audience unfamiliar with film jargon, but it is still a very moving film without that information, as Paula's search for her father, the roots of fear and love, is a very human story about emotions and the pursuit of happiness, identity, and freedom. Check it out if it crosses your path. It is a remarkable motion picture.

This is a great setting, unique, reflexive, layered and full of potential. Unfortunately, the scenario which unfolds therein is irremediably generic: your average YA coming of age, dealing with the same ultra-stereotypical insecurities, family issues and non-descript political awakening as hundreds of other movies released this year.

The production is alert and ambitious, probably a little too much (the outtakes would have deserved more grit). The metalepsis at the core of the setting interestingly (and innovatively) includes the sound-design, although the end result is mostly forgettable. The acting is rather uneven, although an indulgent spectator will find this fitting with the story. All in all the only real problem are the scenario and script, which are hopelessly bland and lacking wit.

YA is a German sickness, and no one seems to care. I suspect those days you probably can't get a film funded unless it stars an awkward teen in the main role, and strings some grand but empty gestures at 'empathy' and 'solidarity'. Mind you, I am largely in agreement with those sentiments, but their completely generic treatment in commercial TV (mis)use them rather than serve them. And what we end up with, instead of being Snowpiercer-meet-Charlie Kaufmann, is yet another Harry Potter-meet-1984.

Although the movie feels fresh at first, the tone is very depressive, any "comedy" moments are forced, and the singing becomes too much to handle. I think the movie lacks life, and that the characters feel part a Black Mirror episode. I felt it was made for hipster-intellectuals and therefore couldn't connect with the movie. Highlights: great photography. The only character that really captivated me was Henning Peker as housemaid.

It definitely feels refreshing for a German movie, but lacks everything else. Also I'd definitely not consider it a comedy, as any attempts of humor are at most "awkward".

WOW!!! This surprise film (sneak preview) by Sophie LINNENBAUM is a huge announcement from German-speaking cinema. There hasn't been such an original world creation there for a long time!

A young supporting character prepares for his final exam as the main character. The world is strictly hierarchically divided into main characters, secondary characters and the cut outtakes. But it gets even worse: Some figures are black and white, are already fading or are no longer good enough for digitalization. A teenager who grew up fatherless has to find his way around!

Great tricks, wonderful acting, wonderful singing! Denise MBAYE and Pasquale ALEARDI as the brightly colored musical model couple are wonderfully annoying. Jule BÖWE shines as the pale supporting character's mother who can only recite the same sentences. And we will hopefully see the young discoveries Fine SENDEL, Noah TINWA and Sira FAAL often. This collaboration between the BABELSBERG film university and the small ZDF television play (Das kleine Fernsehspiel) is definitely to be seen in the multiplexes of this republic!!!

German cinema can be so fantastic!!!

No pun intended - I reckon you can watch this ... and just have fun with it, without thinking too much about it. Or you can see all the metaphors it throws at you and try to decipher them. This is not just about your own life (we are the heroes/main characters of our own story), but about society itself. Class and who gets to do what ... and more stuff you need to suspend your disbelief for.

The world created in this ... is flawed ... but there is the suspension I talked about earlier. Get on with it - the acting is quite good. I was almost surprised - almost everyone hit the tone there were aiming for. I like what they did - and I was able to let the "mistakes" (logically speaking, in the realm of the world this has built) do their thing and not care about them ... kind of like the outtakes in the movie ... I still cherish them more than what the outtakes are being seen for ... "you people" and all that ... I don't think it is too hard to detect what the movie aims at.

Still really good job - watch it if you like these ... sorts of movies.