After a two-week break we’re back, back, BACK with a look at the classic German flick Run Lola Run (thanks to @msrainbowfudge for the recommendation). Our apologies for the lateness of this podcast – regular readers will know that we usually post every Thursday, but Ian ‘forgot’ to put up the podcast last night. Yet another black mark against his hitherto good name – rest assured he will be given an interview without coffee by his superior at the earliest opportunity.

Run Lola Run is the second German film to grace our list of 101 after Downfall, but it couldn’t be more different in style. Although now I’m imagining Downfall done in the style of Run Lola Run, and it seems strangely appealing – imagine Hitler’s last days played out in three separate scenarios, each with subtle differences that enormously affect the outcome. Maybe in one version he doesn’t shoot the dog, which is then subsequently adopted by Churchill? You know, this might just work…

Anyway, as you’ve probably gathered, Run Lola Run occupies that tiniest of film niches dedicated to “What if?…” scenarios – the film documents the same story in three different alternative realities in which a very tiny change has enormous consequences for the outcome. It’s a clever film and it must have been a real challenge to make – getting the continuity right must have been an enormous headache for all concerned. The result is a fast-paced and frenetic bit of film-making (the average shot length is 2.7 seconds) that perhaps doesn’t quite break the boundaries of greatness, but is nevertheless a thoroughly entertaining and worthwhile watch. Also, it made us incredibly nostalgic for the nineties – when are checked trousers going to come back into fashion?

Last but not least, our Secret Sponsor for this week is @EarsARinging – check out his blog at http://earsaringing.blogspot.co.uk/.

If our review has piqued your interest in the film, you can buy the Run Lola Run DVD from Amazon by clicking here (and we get a little bit of cash if you do – thanks in advance).

Anyway, without further ado, let us present our feature presentation:

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101 Films Podcast 043 – Run Lola Run

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Director: Tom Tykwer  Year of release: 1998 Studio/Distributor: X-Filme Creative Pool/Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)/Arte Country: Germany