Der Nachname

No pun intended - or as a famous person once said: (German) Name is Schall und Rauch - which roughly translates into names mean nothing ... but as the very first movie told us, they do have meaning! We do associate them with things - the first one (Vorname - first name, this is second name or family name) was a remake of a French movie ... and a very good one at that.

You do not have to have seen it, but it would make sense. Even with the summarize at the beginning of the movie (a what happened so far), it is best to see it - especially because it is good. And while that had the template of the French original, this one just goes ahead and takes what the first one had and elevates it all to a new level! Very well done to say the least - which the actors are a big part of, but also a really good and tight script! Everything is playing in one location ... and it also manages to do something that only a few movies are able to: almost without any new addition to the cast (one really small one is being added - and yes Iris Berben is now also and additionally actually physically present, instead of just talked about) ... but apart from those two ... and still it remains fresh, still the characters do their thing and it all feels right (while also being quite wrong on so many levels).

Secrets play a big part again - but even those work. Everyone has their moment to shine - hats off ... and it only got better with the third one ... and I am happy I waited to see this, so I had it fresh in mind before watching the trilogy unfold in Spitzname ... I can highly recommend that!