Lose Your Head (2013) Reviews

• Hipster Berlin swallows up innocent Spanish Kid

  sugarfreepeppermint2015-01-09

  This film is a nice little travelogue of the hipster areas of Berlin. The young Spanish actor who takes the role of the protagonist, draws you into his story easily, as he comes off as quite likable, with his big puppy eyes and gentle manners, and seems to be the only sane person in a world full of treacherous people. However This young man has no idea of how dangerous the urban environment of Berlin can be, as he puts himself gleefully and ignorantly at risk of social and sexual relationships with just about any person that takes him in - and add to that random drug use in risky circumstances - and it's just a matter of time before before he gets himself in hot water. And like a moth to a flame he is attracted to one specific man who seems rather untrustworthy. The film shows us what follows on, from giving into perilous temptations. I would have liked for the story to be a bit tighter at the end, as it loses its initial pace a bit. But overall it's worth watching this film.

• Lose Yourself in Great German Indie

  anthonyehler2014-03-03

  Lose your head This was one of my favourite films of last year. Patrick Schukmann's script is superb, as is his co-direction with Stefan Westerwelle. The film's Act I Exposition is long but intriguing —it almost seems loose, haphazard, indulgent. But then, like a grapple hook, it links us to the main plot. We immediately understand how the characters are linked – and why – and the hair on the back of your neck rises. You're locked into the predicament and this tension doesn't flag until the end. Luis's (Fernando Tielve) obsession with the older Viktor (Marko Madic) is at the heart of this thriller. It is explored with a fresh, erotic eye. Schukmann explained how some scenes were a direct homage to Hitchock's Vertigo and others were subtle references to Roeg's Don't Look Now. These were neat touches to satisfy the movie buff. Tielve gives a great performance as the lead: sexy, vulnerable, real, adventurous. Madic's charisma also pulls us in, and he cuts a fine balance between older lover and potential psycho. Berlin, as a backdrop, was shown in gritty authenticity. What I loved was the writer's playfulness with coincidence and the absurd. Luis's tragic reunion with Grit (Samia Muriel Chancrin) is a case in point. It reminds me of Patricia Highsmith in its authentic, non-formulaic approach. And it has one of the best lines of dialogue. "He threw me in the river and I fell in love with him," says Luis of Victor.