Product: Run, Lola, Run [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Watch Lola run
When her boyfriend Manni, in a panic, absent-mindedly leaves a bag of crime money on a subway in an effort to evade the police, Lola (Franka Potente) comes to the rescue, knowing that Manni's crime boss will suspect a double-cross if the 100,000 marks is not found or replaced. She does so in three separate sequences a la Rashomon or Jackie Brown (two imaginary, one apparently real) with varying degrees of success.Tight, exhilarating film which starts with way too many MTV-like gimmicks (animation, under-cranking, over-cranking, video, film, black and white, color) but eventually settles into its own beautiful pace and never lets up. Potente delivers an excellent performance as the frantic redhead, running running running (for what seems to be a quarter of the film), her bright mane of flames crackling behind her as she sets the streets afire in her single-minded quest.With all this rushing, it's a small miracle that director/writer Tom Tykwer is able to build these characters as well as he does. Even more amazing, though, is that in under 80 minutes they become one of the most believable on-screen romantic couples of the year, enough to make this one of the year's best films.