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I've read the book some years ago. I remember being fascinated by the almost fantasy-like world in which our hero and his family live. They are funny, warmhearted, easygoing and freewheeling -and there is some magic secret waiting to be uncovered. And the strange boy has secrets too and is shrouded in mysteries. In the film almost all of the females are shrill borderline cases, acting way over the top most of the time. Our hero is weak willed and confused (which is okay for a teenager coming of age) and must be constantly advised and be comforted by those females who can't master their own affairs. The other boy comes across as a blunt, sexy, needy and selfish guy without any mystery in his life. Being gay myself I appreciate the nicely filmed sex-scenes (guys have sex in the nude and are not covered in linen and shorts like their american brothers ). Louis Hofmann and Jannik Schümann are believable in their roles (as the director sees them) but the MAGIC which hovers about them in the book can't be felt here.

When a film can describe everything your currently going through without doing too much...means alot. The emptiness you feel when you are seeing someone who is not giving them all to you and you feel as if you can lost them at any moment. The horrific feeling it feels when you realize that they are into someone else and that you were just a passing moment (an effective moment but still a passing one). I love this film. Amazing acting, beautiful cast and lots of hot scenes with the actors. BRAVO.

What does cinema mean to you? To me it means emotions and stories, told with moving images, with music and with words. And, in my opinion, for cinema to be at its greatest it needs to brave and vulnerable.

Center of My World is exactly that: brave and vulnerable. And intimate. And true.

Its is the story of Phil, a standard teenager, who is just a little gayer than the rest. But him being gay is really not an important part of the story.

He struggles with his family, with deeply hidden secrets of the past and their effects in the present, which may break his family apart. And he falls in love for the first time. That's really it.

And while watching this in the cinema some people laughed at the film. Because it shows how love is, unironically and over-the-top. It dives deep into Phil's emotions and shows us not only the center of his world, but maybe even the center of THE world (hence the original German title "The Center of the World"). And most people can not let themselves dive into these depths.

And if you want to experience this small gem of a movie, you have to make yourself vulnerable, too. Leave your irony at home, just watch this movie as you are - naked and vulnerable.

Then you may see what cinema can do, what cinema is for.

A movie adaptation of the popular German YA novel THE CENTER OF THE WORLD by Andreas Steinhöfel, published in 1998, CENTER OF MY WORLD, directed by Austrian filmmaker Jakob M. Erwa, his third feature, is a Bildungsroman about a 17-year-older Phil (Hofmann), who returns from his three-week summer camp, during which his hometown has been torpedoed by a storm, and is bemused to notice that his twin sister Dianne (Stappenbeck) and their single mother Glass (Timoteo) are barely on speaking terms. What happened between the mother-daughter pair? It must go back to their past, and the movie takes a fitful rhythm to juggle between the two time-lines of present and past.

Meantime, Phil has his own adolescent problem to cope with, his nascent attraction to the new boy in the class Nicholas (Schümann) would put a strain on the friendship with his best friend Kat (Jung), especially when Nicholas and him become an item. Little does he know (but for viewers, telling signs are everywhere), a double betrayal is laid in store. For a sensitive, romantic soul like Phil, who is perpetually looking for a sense of security in his one-sided infatuation, the school of hard knocks is a requisite rite of passage, and gladly, he will grow out of it and at the same time, solving the multifarious little hitches to a wholesome happy ending, topped off with a hard-earned decision to let go of the big question mark of his existence, who is his biological father?

While Erwa's narrative structure tends to be haphazard, more often than not, the dialogue is pure platitude (albeit benign to a fault), his visual flare also tallies with a televisual blandness, with a habit of dropping pop anthems in full impact, but the most peevish thing is that many potentially intriguing ingredients are unwisely downplayed, for example, Dianne's preternatural power of communing with animals, inherited from their unnamed father, is only exhibited once, and by focusing on Phil, the missing piece of Dianne's more dramatic and numinous arc feels short-changed.

Two outstanding performances emerge out of a patchy cast (to this reviewer's eyes, Schümann's jock allure is roundly undermined by his asymmetrical eyes, and both Stappenbeck and Jung feel miscast, the former doesn't continue a uniquely ethereal air of her younger counterpart, played by Sarah Fuhrer, and the latter is saddled with a very unsympathetic role who doesn't even have a chance to explain her improprieties), a fresh-faced Louis Hofmann beautifully interprets Phil's sensitivity and queer delicacy, and a lissom Sabine Tomoteo is indeed, a wonder-maker through inhabiting a fey, temperamental woman who lives with her two kids in a derelict mansion, and never for a split second, actually, goes off the deep end against all the seemingly impressions, albeit her troubled history riddled with frequent break-ups, bad reputation and a mysterious miscarriage that is created by and furthermore creates internal fiction, she makes Glass a hell of a woman and a darn good mother too, that is something only a real trouper manages to pull off.

The German film Die Mitte der Welt was shown in the U.S. with the translated title Center of My World (2016). It was written and directed by Jakob M. Erwa.

This movie can be interpreted in many ways. It's a coming of age movie, a gay love story, and a melodrama with many twists and turns.

Louis Hofmann plays Phil, a gay young man, who is looking for a boyfriend-lover-partner. Jannik Schümann plays Nicholas, who is handsome and athletic, and becomes Phil's boyfriend and lover, if not partner. Both Hofman and Schümann are fine young actors, and they do admirable work in this film. Also involved in the plot is Phil's twin sister, who may or may not have some special powers.

For me, however, the acting honors go to Sabine Timoteo as Glass, Phil's mother. She brings men into the family, and then sends them away, with devastating results to her children. Timoteo brings acting skills that allow her to inhabit this role. You can't take your eyes off her as she lives--and messes up--her life and the lives of others. She always tells just enough of the story to make you aware that she knows more than she tells.

The film will work well on the small screen.

To start with, I completely disagree with a previous 2/10 review.

"Center of my world" / "Die Mitte der Welt" was and is one of my most beloved novels I first read end of the 90ies shortly before it has been released. It's a wonderful book I always return to. I didn't know how it could be brought to screen - until now.

When I first saw the trailer I was already roped back into the world of Steinhöfels book. I needed to see this film and I did on the first weekend. While they removed several parallel and back stories of the book to create a better narration for the screen, they managed to keep the dreamy atmosphere of the book for the whole 2 hours. The main cast is more than perfect, from Louis Hofmann as Phil to Sabine Timeteo as his mother, to Jannik Schürmann as Nicholas. I fell in love with each of them. The setting in the small town and the enchanted home of the "different" family was a perfect match to the tone and style of the story. It was wonderful to live, laugh and cry with the characters throughout, a very emotional, dreamy, wonderful journey, accompanied with a beautiful soundtrack. The love story between the two main characters blew me away, so real, intimate and wonderful to watch.

I didn't see any other film this year that I embraced so much like "Die Mitte der Welt". Maybe I will see it a second time in the cinema but the Blu-ray will be on my shelves on day one. Go and watch it, it won't get better this year.

A really nice gay coming of age film with a very likable cast lead by Louis Hofmann, a young actor who I just recently watched in a 26 hour binge of "Dark" on Netflix. This is an earlier film and he is very good in the lead. It's also a family drama with an unusual mother who is very enjoyable as is the actress who plays her, Sabine Timoteo, but she has a serious problem with men and our lead has a twin sister who is mostly a very unhappy camper alienating herself from her family. We eventually learn why and that is the film's one real off note. As soon as we learn what causes her unhappiness, and it is very serious, she is suddenly very happy?! Why the sudden change, I've no idea. In the midst of his family going through their various struggles, he falls in love for the first time with a hunky new classmate and as with any first "loves" we know in advance it will be both incredible and eventually problematic as first loves usually are. I don't know if this kind of acceptance of gay people in Germany is commonplace or it's just this wonderfully supportive movie family, but their reaction to his being gay is like a breath of fresh air. There's never the slightest hint of disapproval or anything out of the ordinary. There's a small plotline about a snow globe that seems to be leading to something, but it is curiously just dropped other than vaguely suggesting that someone may be a thief. In any event, it's a nice film about gay people that isn't tragic!

The greatest strength of this coming-of-age story that centers on a young gay man is that his sexuality is established: being gay is not his discovery or central point of the film. He knows he's gay, as does his mom, sister, friends and neighbors. This film is about relationships -- an entire spectrum of them, and not just his interactions. Louis Hofmann as Phil turns in a stunning performance, a great deal of his best moments are unspoken and occur on his face and in his eyes. Jannick Schulmann as Nicholas is ferociously seductive and sweeps Phil and us onlookers off our feet. The surroundings feel natural and speak of each character beautifully. When elements begin coming together, the results are stunning, pointing to a strong script.

I saw this movie before i read the book and i have to say it was really really good.

At first i was a little bit annoyed about the half English - half German speaking mother, but when it came up she had an American heritage it wasn't so bad after all.

The characters in the movie were lovely and you could empathize with them in many ways. The main characters (Phi, Glass and Nicholas) were played very well. I loved the cut-scenes, which came up to show the emotions of Phil - and the music was also carefully chosen (Down by the River by Milky Chance).

The movie gives you a feel good vibe...lot of great pictures. The scenes from the childhood in a very nostalgic way.

The fact that it was a homosexual love story was, in my opinion, not the main setting of the movie. The homosexual setting was like every heterosexual setting in any other movie. It just was there. Was played beautifully. I recommend it to everyone! A high quality German/Austrian "young modern scenes" movie...wonderful and just as good as any American film.

I enjoyed it. I may be simple and I may be unable to understand the nuances that apparently abound, but for sheer entertainment for me, it was pleasing. So many of IMDb critics forget that they are watching a film that is designed to entertain. They go off on journey of esoteric criticisms that only the pompous and pretentious would understand. Sit back, open a beer and view it for what is was - just a film, and to me, an enjoyable one.

Good acting, good story. Enjoyed the movie and would watch it again.

I watched this movie. Twice. Then I bought the book and now I'm reading it.

The movie does not capture the complexity of the characters and action of the book from what I have read so far. It couldn't, objectively.

However, this review is for the movie and not for its closeness to the book.

The movie itself is absolutely beautiful. The actors are ALL very very good.

Especially Louis Hofmann, around 19 at the time, delivers a breathtaking performance, which is a joy to watch. The precision of his acting is absolute. Look at his face and enjoy all the subtle nuances as they unfold second by second. This is not a teenager actor wannabe, this is star quality. His career took off nicely and I cannot wait to see him in other movies.

Schümann, Stappenbeck, Timoteo, everyone else, all spotless.

The soundtrack is also one of the best I have ever heard.

Such a pity German movies are usually underrated. This one is a true gem.

This is a beautifully made film. Casting excellent, camerawork accomplished and a storyline guaranteed to warm the heart and perhaps produce a tear or two. Lost love...old story but still packs an emotional punch in the right hands.

A film like a spring wind. warm, fresh, nice, refreshing. a story about love, life, teens, family. not perfect - to critic it becomes real temptanting - but having few good points - from atmosphere to actors. so, a nice film with few lovely scenes. sure, it could be better. but it is , from start, not the object of high expectations. for many reasons. first - it propose cut boys, eccentric feminine characters, a not awfull story and reasonable balancce between present and past. and something escaping from precise definition. a feeling, slices of pure, honest joy, memories and traits of storm, dialogues and relations who are pieces of a puzzle who could be more complex . but, it is a refreshing film. and this, for me, is the most important thing for me.

This is a very good coming of age movie. Great acting, great character development, great writing, thought provoking, and an original.

First, about Phil. Just awesome and a truely dramatic guy. Love him so much. Second, about Nicholas. I can't imagine what hes going to do next. So, awesome too and will be more handsome if he doesn't cheat on Phil. Finally, about Kat. Sorry but when I've just watched it. I wanna kill her. Because i can't understand why did she do that ?? F. Sorry again and I don't like Kat. About the film, it is amazing and hope in the future there will be films like this.

Another film that ruins a good idea and materials. There are too many useless scenes / dialogues. For instance, who cares about whether the co-lead actor loves spaghetti or any other dish? Or seeing trivial actions such as walking, bicycling etc.. No one watches this movie for that purpose.

A lot of the scenes appear to exist only to justify and reach the nearly 2-hour film duration. But quantity is not quality.

The narrative process is often confusing and makes us wonder what the message is supposed to be. There is a lot of back and forth between scenes set at different times / showing totally different things, and the link between the two is unclear.

The co-lead (the non-manly one) does not appear empathic and friendly. When negative things happen to him, not only did I not feel sorry, but quite the opposite. This should not be the case...

Filming is also not that great, as often, the camera is slightly shaking. The focus on the characters' face to see their expressions is too often limited and short, preventing us from really connecting to the characters and understanding their feelings.

On the positive side, the co-lead (the manly guy) is really great to look at.