Julie en juillet

For someone to write, direct, and act successfully in a movie shows a great talent at work. Mr. Akin also shows great talent in finding wonderful actors. A terrific story for anyone who has dreamed about a journey about finding life. With gyspies, beautiful women, mind altering drugs, fellow travelers, traveling throughout countries, all to find what has been missing in life after thousands of miles was right in front of you all along. It also shows that though people may be different, we are all looking for the same thing, happiness. I can count on one hand the stories that have made me cry with joy, this being one of them. I can't wait to see more of Mr. Faith Akin's movies as I have become an instant fan with I'm July!

It's almost a miracle: This German film tries to seduce its viewers, and it succeeds! It tells the rather simple story of a young, intelligent man (Moritz Bleibtreu) who doesn't realize that the woman of his dreams (a dread-locked Christiane Paul) is right next to him. Instead he takes on an odyssey from Hamburg, Germany, to Istanbul, Turkey, crossing foreign and often enough hostile grounds (Bavaria, Austria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria) to get there in time. Right from the beginning the film feels trustworthy - and it gets better all the time. The film is funny, romantic, yet always on the brink of being melodramatic with a glimpse of tragedy here and there. It's an irresistible combination that Germans almost never achieve. (And maybe they wouldn't have done it even with this script - director Fatih Akin is from Turkey!) Bleibtreu, who had a wonderful bit-part as a dumb, tarantinesque killer in "Knockin' on Heaven's door" is very appealing here, but it is the tall and beautiful Christiane Paul (from "Das Leben ist eine Baustelle"/Life is under construction), who delivers the emotional knockout punches. She's plain and simple gorgeous, a revelation to those of haven't had the pleasure of seeing her so far.

This sunny German film was a complete surprise. In fact, it's one of the best things that we have seen from that country in a while, which proves that when a talent like Mr. Akin is at the helm, one must rush to see whatever he decides to present for us.

In fact, the beginning of the film is kind of disorienting. We are thinking one way, and suddenly we are taken back to another time and another situation involving Daniel. We saw him in the lonely road where Isa happens to be taking on his way home to Turkey. Right after he has been left behind, we meet him again in different circumstances as he is teaching math to a group of inattentive students who are preparing for their summer vacations.

Daniel, after meeting Juli, buys a Mayan sun ring that she promises will let him meet a woman who will have a ring to match his, that same night, and that woman will be his true love. When sees the lovely and exotic Melek, who is wearing a tee shirt with what appears to be another Mayan sun, he believes the prophesy has come true. Melek, who is traveling to Turkey tells him about how she is going to wait under a bridge for the man who is destined for her. Daniel is so taken with this beautiful creature that he decides to follow her all the way to Istanbul. The only problem is that in taking to the road, Daniel discovers himself and gets to meet his true love at the end.

The film is made more enjoyable by Mortiz Bleibtreu's work in it. This young actor has a face that registers all the emotions running through him at the time. He makes the movie work because of his intelligent approach to the role. Equally charismatic is Christiana Paul, who plays Juli. Lovely Idil Uner is seen as Melek and Mehmet Kurtulus is Isa and Branke Katic plays Luna.

The film is a road movie that shows some beautiful European countryside and byways as the trip progresses from Germany to its end in Istanbul. Mr. Akin has directed with great panache as he involves us, the viewers, into this fun trip.

What I found special about the "Im Juli" is that, although the story feels like a fantasy, the characters are very warm and real. All those meetings and coincidences looked a little unbelievable first time, but now I think everything makes sense if we see the story as an allegory…meaningful but at the same time light and funny.

The playfulness of the script might perhaps make some miss the message of the movie, but the message actually is there and is a strong one. As I see it, "Im Juli" is a story about hope and about finding life and happiness. Searching for the one meant for you in furthest places to realise that what you've been searching for was right next to you all along.

I liked the idea of the first part of the movie being a flashback until we get back to the sun eclipse we had seen at the beginning. After the sun comes out again it looks like dark gets out of Daniel's mind and the sun shows him the right way this time: that Juli was the one he had been searching all along. The whole journey changes Daniel incredibly much as with her sun amulet, Juli learns him to do the same as her: trust faith and go on searching for happiness. The ending was really perfect: all the 4 characters' roads coming together and Daniel finally seeing the ultimate proof that he had found what he was looking for.

What I enjoyed about the movie is that although the message is a serious one, the story is so light and everything goes on really fast and surprising. The whole journey through so many different countries and passing beside so many different people and cultures was really interesting and refreshing, as were all the characters in the movie. All the actors, playing the Turkish guy, Luna or the officer at the Romanian border, looked they were really enjoying their roles and brought most of the movie's humour: great, subtle and nothing Hollywood like.

All in all, I thought it was a really enjoyable movie, so different from the usual productions we get from Hollywood. Really a movie you shouldn't miss!

I saw this movie at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival 2001, where it won the audience favorite prize. Its competitors where among other excellent films "Love is a bitch", "Girl on the bridge", "Girl of your dreams", "Her eyes", "Mifunes song".

The movie is a sort of feel-good road movie through the Balkans. There is lots of action, flirting with fate, and going through hell to find the one you love.

It's cinematography is beautiful, and this is truly a very good movie!

8/10

(pls if you know how I can get this movie, please mail me)