"Herz über Kopf" or "Herz im Kopf" or "Heart Over Head" is a German 90-minute movie from 2001, so soon 20 years old. It is among the most known career efforts by writer and director Michael Gutmann and even if he may not be as known as his co-writer Hans-Christian Schmid, he still has solid projects included there. This one here features Tom Schilling in the lead and Matthias Schweighöfer as supporting, two of Germany's biggest actors right now back when they were still really young, around the age of 20 or even under. They are joined by the stunning Alicja Bachleda and yes romance, love and jealousy are key components in this one we have here. But there is mroe to it. A bit of grief, a bit of pregnancy, a bit of coming-of-age, a bit of friendship, a bit of faithfulness etc., but sadly none of it is really elaborated on on a level that I would call remotely convincing to be honest. It is all very wishy washy, very much all above the surface and there is no quietly convincing subtlety in here whatsoever. What's even worse is that the film gets worse, the longer it goes. The first half is tolerable at times without being good, but the second half has some really bad moments that are almost negative dealbreakers on a level where I have to take anouther star away, so 4 out of 10 or 2 out of 5 is still pretty much on the generous side. The very rare shots at comedy or at putting smiles on the audience's lips are mostly failures too and I found it really difficult to actually care for the characters in their pursuit of love and happiness. i also felt it depicted romance in a way that did not feel really realistic or authentic, so it is pretty dangerous if you try to get inspired here for your real life romance, this film may actually hurt your chances there. All in all, there isn't a single component in here from start to finish, a single production value where I would say that this makes the film worth watching and the script is the biggest problem. As for the cast, I like Leonard Lansink, but well he has certainly not the material or screen time here to make a lasting impression. Maybe only the very biggest Tom Schilling fans may want to check this one out, but also only if they have seen everything else from him. I certainly give these slightly under 1.5 hours a thumbs-down and don't recommend checking them out. They feel very fame a lot of the time and this is really crucial as realism with characters and stories that you and me could experience too is where the movie really wants to deliver and comes really short. The only thing memorable finally is just how amazingly gorgeous the young Bachleda is. but that is obviously not reason enough to see the film. watch something else instead.
Review of Herz über Kopf
