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.

I was initially quite sceptical about this. It seemed quite artificial to pigeon-hole people into cinematic equivalents of socio-economic groupings. Actually, though, once I got my head around it, it worked quite well at providing an observational template for a class system that resonated rather better than I was expecting. It all centres around "Paula" (Fine Sendel). Now she is merely an unremarkable looking "supporting character" but that is so much better than being just about everyone else in this drama and what's next for her could lead to her elevation to "lead". If only she can learn to generate emotional music - and then the sky's the limit. She must train, strive and practice if she is to attain this goal - but there is a distraction. Her mother has repeatedly told her that her father was in that elite grouping, but a trip to the archives cannot find any trace of him. It's her search for evidence that drives her into the clutches of the underworld of the "out-takes" and those other unsavoury unmentionables who work behind the camera. Can she discover the truth before her world and her studies cave in on her? There is no doubting that this is contrived, and that at times that stretches the plausibility - but for the most part this is still quite a compelling, occasionally quite funny, look at human nature, and at what people might do to protect themselves, their families, reputations, prospects - you name it, really. It also takes the story - from the perspective of this ambitious but honest young woman - and asks us questions about what we might do in similar situations; or, indeed, what we have probably already done to get on and retain and/or embellish what we've achieved. I didn't love Fabian Zeidler's score but some characterful supporting roles - especially from her mother "Elisa" (Jule Böwe) and a tightly knit cast make this well worth a watch. It gives the cutting room floor an whole new meaning.

I am very critical of our film-making which is either outright boring and too ordinary (haha), or consists of period dramas from WW II or some other war or crisis. The Ordinaries is different, it feels fresh and new. Don't take the whole thing too seriously, see it as a surrealistic allegory, cherish it for the nice ideas it has, its humor and its seamless execution. The only flaw is that the audio sometimes feels a little off, I think there was a lot of dubbing in post-production involved. But the performances of the cast, the low key, but well executed special effects, the cinematography and the creativity involved make this a really enjoyable movie.

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.

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.