"Lotte" is a German movie from last year (2016) and this one was written and directed by Julius Schultheiß. It is his first full feature film until now and for that it is not bad, even if it has a tendency to stay too much above the surface and not really go into depth convincingly as much as I hoped it would. But maybe this also has something to do with the cast here as honestly the two actresses in the center of it do not really shine through great performances, more through great looks. I'd even say one looks a bit similar to Scarlett Johansson. For me this film was a bit more of particular interest because it is set in Berlin, the city I have lived always my entire life. And I must say the film also felt relatively authentic for the most part. Yes here and there there were moments that were a bit over the top, but in terms of dramatic exaggerations, it's all solid I guess. The bigger problem, at least for me, was really that the film never truly impressed me or felt like making a difference or telling a memorable story. I found it relatively difficult to care for the characters in the center of their actions and I am not talking about liking them here, just developing an interest in their lives. And while the film only runs for 75 minutes and this already includes credits, I did not really feel it was very much focused or essential and it could have been even shorter and I'd have been perfectly fine with it. Still, we need to keep in mind that it is the first work by the director and for that it was okay. It was certainly not a failure and experienced lead actress Karin Hanczewski also had a couple good moments. Cautious thumbs-down overall from me. Not recommended.
Review of Lotte
