User reviews

Absolute superb little film about a whiny young man, who still lives with his parents, gets fooled by his girlfriend and works in daddy's company. He gets to meet Lisa Martinek, who is an semi-eco-terrorist and left wing power woman with quite much sex appeal and enormous strength. They both fall in love, and after the usual things happen like they get it all wrong and find together again, you so much wish for him to get out of his tiny world and share hers. A wonderful, unusual German production which is a must see. Excellent actors, a good story and filmed in a stylish, partly grotesque funny manner. Go and get it on tape, cause it hasnt been on the cinemas for more than a few days.

This film beats the Austrian "Tempo" (1996) in the inofficial bicycle courier film hit list by a small but still enormous margin: "Haertetest" is a story for courageous people as well as those who never take risks (like protagonist Jonas, brilliantly played by Janek Rieke) because both parts of the medal are wittily presented. Why should a boy bother about a girl? Because friends and parents say so? Or because there is something about this other person Lena (fantastic: Lisa Martinek) that is outraging, attractive, awful, hilarious, in other words: lovable? This is definitely a must-see!