Product: Run, Lola, Run [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 1.0
Amazing? Stunning? How about.. pointless?
No spoilers ahead:The story tells of a boyfriend who is in debt. Coming to terms that he will not pay off the debt with only 20 minutes remaining, his girlfriend runs to his aid to try and get the money before time is up. The plot is told three times over to exemplify three different possibilities of what can happen.I'm almost shocked at the abundant amount of raving reviews for this terrible film. I'd like to make a fair review based off of the insight and interesting things about the film, but I honestly fail to see any. For this I can only pick at it:The Music: I'm a big fan of electronic music, so I may hold high standards in this regard, but nonetheless, if you're trying to sport a film with any bit of taste, I fail to see the reason for using terrible beats laden with god-awful cheesy lyrics that just kill the mood. Often the lyrics just made me laugh.The Animation: How arbitrary! I love experimental film, collaging styles and testing waters - but c'mon! Can anyone give me a reason why 10-seconds worth of clips of animation were used in the film? Anyone at all? I'm sorry, but if you want to use animation, use it, but exploit what animation offers, and let it integrate further, even if you use it for just one scene. Even so, watching a cartoon Lola run, then the live-action Lola run just made the live-action one look ridiculous and unexciting in comparison (especially considering how rigid and stern that actress runs).The Characters: Most of the characters have no development and are boring. I don't care if the characters were only used to develop a different story for each of the three sections, but there was nothing to grab on to. Far be it for me to criticize the alternative lifestyles of the characters (ie, Lola's distracting and childish red hair and clothes), but let it not dissuade too much from the terrible acting throughout the film.The Plot: Laying out the same story three times over was just overkill. The plot wasn't interesting the first time, and it certainly did not retain any value a second and third time over. For a plot so plain and uninteresting, I don't see the point in exhausting the ending possibilities, or outcomes. For this, why stop at three? And the third outcome was just too ridiculous for me.The Running: If I see that girl running down the street, I'm gonna run her over myself and save us all the redundancy. The running was never exciting, and it is FAR from action-based as the heart pounding music makes it appear to be. It was way overdrawn and it got to be slavish to watch her going and going.