Schwerkraft (2009)

Schwerkraft: Directed by Maximilian Erlenwein. With Fabian Hinrichs, Jürgen Vogel, Nora von Waldstätten, Thorsten Merten. The story of a seemingly settled bank employee who breaks the shackles of his everyday life and becomes a wanderer between worlds. Frederik is an up-and-coming young bank employee who lives an ordinary life. When a bank customer, whom Frederik has denied a loan in the face of the bank crisis, shoots himself in front of Frederik, he snaps. Together with ex-con Vince,he begins to live out a new, dark side of himself. He robs his rich bank customers’ homes and gives the money to the needy. The initial rush of crossing social boundaries soon develops into an addiction to ever greater thrills.

“Mack the Knife asks in Brechtu0026#39;s Threepenny Opera, u0026quot;Who is the greater criminal: he who robs a bank or he who founds one?u0026quot; After the credit crunch and the ensuing economic crisis, we will definitely say, u0026quot;Itu0026#39;s the banker w****s, thatu0026#39;s for sure.u0026quot; But are bankers happy? In this German film we see Frederik Feinermann, a banker in a rather small bank in Leipzig who has been rather successful in his job so far. Then, however, one of his clients who cannot pay back his loan shoots himself in front of Frederik. Just a few days later he bumps into Vince Holland, a former classmate of his, who now works in a hypermarket. When he learns that Vince was in prison, he is a bit shocked, but later Vinceu0026#39;s criminal prowess proves rather useful for him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt first Frederik breaks into his bossu0026#39;s house and needs Vinceu0026#39;s help to finish what he has started, and then he thinks that they should also steal from his wealthy clients because he knows everything about their finances and also when they are on holiday.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo who is the greater criminal: the boss who does not understand that Frederik has suffered a trauma, or Frederik and Vince who start or resume a criminal career? This film raises several other questions as well: What matters in life? Is it more important to have a good job and a successful career, or should you spend more time with your friends and, if you have one, your partner? What makes you happy? This German u0026quot;cityboyu0026quot; does not start writing a column in u0026quot;thelondonpaperu0026quot;, but he gradually turns into a rebel, trying to re-arrange his life and make up with his ex-girlfriend. It is, however, difficult to say whether this change makes him happy or whether he has simply lost his plot.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you like films that are satirical and realistic at the same time (eg, Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei), this one is a must-see for you. It leaves a lot of questions open for discussion, so go and watch it with a friend and chat about it later in the evening.”