The title of this award-winning 2014 German film is a tease, since the protagonist spends the day the movie describes trying—and failing—to score a cup of joe. Would he had gotten it, and he might have been better prepared for his frustrating encounters with his girlfriends (present and possible future), his dad, the creator of an unintentionally hilarious performance art piece, and some drunken toughs, among others. As it is, he is "a victim of inertia," says Washington Post reviewer Stephanie Merry, a young man who has so far chucked his opportunities into an ocean of cool. Jan Ole Gerster's debut film, starring Tom Schilling as Niko (originally titled Oh, Boy), has created a likable if drifting protagonist and given him situations punctuated with absurd humor. You want Niko to pull himself together and for the sparks of empathy we see to flame into action. One of those flames occurs near the end of the film, when he hears a rambling, drunken tale that calls forth thoughts of people who really had it bad. Great musical score by Cherilyn MacNeil and The Major Minors.
A Coffee in Berlin
2012 [GERMAN]
Action / Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
Niko, a twenty-something college dropout, lives for the moment as he drifts through the streets of Berlin, curiously observing everyone around him and oblivious to his growing status as an outsider. Then on one fateful day, through a series of absurdly amusing encounters, everything changes.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
November 12, 2020 at 10:46 AM
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Coffee Might Have Helped!
Running away
There is a theme in the movie and I'm not talking about the growing up part. I'm talking about the part where the lead character has to make decisions. Which he is unable too. You could argue, that is part of growing up, but it's just a theme that runs through many people and will touch a nerve.
Of course the one thing our lead character wants, he doesn't get. There is always an obstacle, something that will not let him get it. For some that might feel symbolic (and the resolution this has or hasn't at the end of the movie might feel that way too), but that depends on how you view things. And that is something that has been done clever by the filmmaker here. Shooting in black and white is an art choice, but I feel it works for the general feeling of the movie
won't SOMEBODY get him a ...
Learning life's lesson the hard way. Poor guy. Niko is having a really bad day. All he wants is a ##$$%% cup of coffee, and his day just keeps worse and worse. Looks like he's not getting his driver's license back, his father has shut off his bank account for being a slacker, and he gets busted for not having a ticket for the subway. Grainy, gritty black and white photography of Berlin. Tom Schilling does a great job of showing us a pretty rough day in one man's life. Really quite good at showing us all the issues that weigh on him, but he keeps on trucking. The rough day turns into a bad night, but then... when morning comes, we are given just a smidge of hope. Directed by Jan Ole Gerster. He had only done a couple things prior to this, but does a fine job. The music is eerie in the right places. Not too much talking. We see a lot just observing. One of the characters, an old man he bumps into at the coffee shop goes into a long tirade talking about Kristallnacht, and how it affected him as a small child. That went on for quite a long time, but this IS a film about Berlin, so clearly someone thought it was important to include here. Good stuff.