User Reviews

I must admit that when I decided to watch the German full feature film "Wie die Karnickel", my expectations weren't too high really. But it was a positive surprise. First things first though. This one is from 2002, so it has its 15th anniversary and it runs for easily under 90 minutes and this includes credits already, so not a long movie at all. Don't be fooled by the design here on IMDb as despite the Werner Beinhart lookalike poster, this is not an animated movie. This is merely because the film is based on a comic by Ralf König. The director is Sven Unterwaldt Jr. and I guess you can say about them both that they have some hits and some misses in their long careers. This one is more on the hit side I guess. The performances are good and I am a bit surprised that really none of the lead actors and major supporting actors are that known in Germany really. The likes of Karrenbauer, Trump and Schafmeister are certainly more known and I'd definitely have preferred more screen time for the latter as I am quite a fan, but all three of them really don't have that much screen time despite being (by today's standards) the biggest names in here. You can add Niels Ruf to that even if he basically just plays himself and today he is probably also only somewhat known for his (admittedly entertaining) Twitter escapades.

But back to this film now. Relationships and sexuality and the habit of watching porn play a major role in here. I thought the screenplay was actually pretty smart. Not only did it offer quite a few interesting, entertaining and funny scenarios and situations, there is also a lot of truth to it like when we hear the male co-lead (a gay man) talk about the habits in heterosexual relationships before it comes to having sex. Also it's somewhat refreshing to hear somebody talk about sex and emancipation and porn and lots of other stuff while not knowing any taboos and saying it as it is. Of course, the film lacks realism completely, but that's fine as they never went for it from start to finish, so you cannot say anything about failed ambition. instead they went for something you could almost call a satire of our society and customs when it comes to love, but even life in general. Add in spicy entertaining parts about hunky furniture packers (you know what I mean I hope? otherwise watch the film and you sure do). This is a film that never takes itself seriously and still it is really spot-on on many occasions and when it goes shamelessly over the top it still does so in the most entertaining manner. It also needs to be said that with all the really bad gay-themed films out there, this one here shows how it can be done correctly. Just one approach. And it's working. I certainly recommend checking it out.

As the lead Horst (Michael Lott) once will state, aren't we all, at least sometimes, Wie die Karnickel? Sex sets the path of the film, from a hilarious moment to another. From the shiny life of Horst to the open and lively mores of his new/old gay friend Siegfried (Sven Walser), it's all that really matters to us. I found of particular interest the behavior of Gunther (Heinrich Schafmeister), one of the shy orchestra companion and straight friends of Horst. He keeps finding Horst life more amusing than his own, but can't confront his partner female Gilla (Elke Czischek) and keeps in the closet his real fetishes. Gunther isn't the sole interesting supporting cast character in the film. From Vera (Anna Bötcher) the aggressive but insecure companion to Kriemhild (Andreja Schneider) Horst singer lover, passing through Benno (Alfonso Losa-Essers) Sigi's truck loader lover, all cast has it's moments of shine. Also that's about sex fetishes that the film stands against, showing in a funny way how they dominate our thoughts, often to our disappointment when they happen to be true. But that's too philosophical about the real intention on the movie, aiming mostly to amuse. Destroying prejudices, showing the ridiculous of our human thoughts about sex and what the real thing is, it's a film that unworthily didn't come to broader audiences outside Germany (language barriers? Too ahead of his own time?) and well worth a look at. You will laugh loudly. And, contrarily to what I just said about philosophy, it will make you think a lot, as long as you wish to. Too see many times, it's not restricted to gay interest, but will show gay people in a way straights ought to know.