The film deals with identity and fame, and there's a sense of tension and awkwardness throughout much of the film, not limited to, but personified by Bruhl's character David Kern.
There was a lot about the film which I enjoyed, but several aspects of the film really didn't fit in terms of tone: clumsy, after-the-fact attempts to present the film as a romantic comedy (which it definitely isn't).
To give a few examples: several of the songs used in the soundtrack were much lighter and sunnier that the scenes they were matched to; the final scene of the film fit so poorly it was little short of schizophrenic (by which I mean the last 15 seconds or so). In a similar way the posters used to advertise the film are completely mismatched with the content of the film.
It was only relatively recently that I read the book that this film was based on ("Lila, Lila" by Martin Suter). Having enjoyed the book so much, I knew I would watch the film more critically than otherwise.
To finish on a positive note, I found Daniel Bruhl's interpretation of David engaging and I actually really enjoyed the plot variations in the film as opposed to the book.
Lila, Lila
2009 [GERMAN]
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
Plot summary
David, a waiter, finds an unpublished manuscript in a dresser drawer. To impress a girl, he claims to be the author. When the novel becomes a best-seller, the real author introduces himself and begins to take over David's life.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
March 11, 2022 at 01:39 PM
Director
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720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Almost a good film, but not quite. And definitely not a romantic comedy.
Loved it
I totally loved this film. Its a shame its not out in England i had to buy it on the American Amazon so i could have it with the English subtitles and wait over 2 weeks.
The film was about a waiter who never got noticed and he really liked a girl who was in to her books. Lucky he found a novel in a old bedside table and then you think the true author comes to find him. It has some good twists and turns. Daniel Bruhl is totally brilliant and so is Hannah Herzsprung. I really hope this get released in the UK so other people can enjoy it.Please watch it if you love comedy and world cinema you wont be disappointed.