Run If You Can (2010) User Reviews

Run - or use a wheelchair

[Pippi_langstrumpf · 8/10 · 5 August 2010]

A film about two men and a girl does not sound remotely interesting, but this one is as one of the men sits in a wheelchair.

For about two years Ben, the guy in the wheelchair, has watched Annika, a music student who cycles to her school. One day he happens to watch an accident: Annika ignores a red traffic light and runs over a man, Christian, who turns out to be Ben's new help.

Ben is quite a pushy person and not easy to like but Christian manages to get along with him well. Then Annika turns up, and they all end up sitting on Ben's balcony watching the wintery city and sky and wish this moment would last forever.

Both Christian and Annika ask Ben what happened to him, ie, what made him end up in a wheelchair, and he tells quite a few stories about it, but they will find out later what really happened.

Annika at first seems in love with Chritian, then with Ben, and you can see how troubling it is for all of them because they really like each other. Nevertheless, the two men get into a fight and Ben gains the upper hand; he manages to watch Annika's concert in which she can play a solo as her roommate has hurt her hand (long story, funnily told in the film - watch out for the Mozart/Beethoven/Goethe or whoever bust!).

Anna Brüggemann, who plays Annika, has written the script, and she and her brother, the director of a film, have a sister who sits in a wheelchair so they really now about the difficulties handicapped people face.

Even though Ben seems both physically and psychologically damaged, there are also some jokes and very funny dialogues. If you want to watch a film which leaves your brain switched on and makes you laugh and think at the same time, you should watch this one.

Different Triangle Drama

[ppiiaa22 · 7/10 · 8 February 2011]

I saw this on at Göteborg Film Festival, and had the pleasure to listen to Q&A with the director and his associate, who was the editor and wheelchair coach (I think, I hope, not always clear sound on these things).

I actually came in with small hope of a good film, after watching the trailer on-line. I was thinking a Til Schweiger comedy with no backing at all, with crap actors. I was wrong, and the trailer was wrong.

This film has a subject matter in very good hands, the director, Dietrich Brüggemann, handles his story with skill and ease. Sure, perhaps a bit too many basic film school turns, but done with feeling. There were a few instances when a mean editor could have cut away some fat. Not saying a pro edit is always the way to go.

The acting was first class - but Dieter, there are actors in wheeelchairs, look a bit closer; -.

Interesting Movie But Does Not Fulfill Its Full Potential

[irina2km · 7/10 · 16 November 2010]

This movie clearly has A LOT of potential because it involves a man in a wheelchair and what struggles he has to go through in life.

Firstly, I would like to point out that the emotions conveyed in this movie are delivered quite well. In addition, there is also a lot of dark humor which makes the movie less boring and more interesting. The sceneries are beautiful and the direction of the movie is good.

Secondly, Ben has an extremely strong character who is played by an amazing actor who reminds me of Jim Parsons. There is so much characterization and this what makes this movie great. The same thing goes to Annika, who has confidence problems and is envious of her own roommate.

However, I have a HUGE problem with Christian's role in the movie. Is he only supposed to be Ben's caretaker? Honestly, the movie focuses SO damn much on Ben and Annika it frustrates me because it's so damn unfair to Chris who also wants to be a part of the movie.

Chris has almost no character in the movie. His attitude in the hospital to Annika is just... weird. It'll be more dramatic if he actually gets angry at her because he thinks that she likes him while in reality she likes Ben more. In addition, it seems that he's the least interesting character among the trio because he doesn't seem to be struggling in a particular area of his life.

I feel that the point of the movie is that you are unable to run away from the reality that you have to face no matter how much you want to. You can't run away from your problems, your fate, the person you love, etc. Therefore, there should be more focus on Chris's life and what he struggles with. For example. he may still be struggling with drugs because he was from an abusive family, despite the fact that he wants to be a doctor. This would make the "competition" between Ben and Chris to win Annika's heart filled with more tension and drama, and definitely also more meaning because Annika has to REALLY choose between two men who can make her heart melt.

My friend and I were quite confused with the paper that Ben threw away the paper, but interestingly it becomes the thread that bonds and links him with his new caretaker and most importantly, Annika. It is through Chris that he even knows Annika in the first place. I love the realization that he has always been watching Annika for years. It gives more twist to the story, that he has always loved her but refused to admit it especially when she shows him that she loves him too.

I feel that the movie should also show Annika actually trying being in a relationship with Chris and then because she doesn't feel fulfilled she goes to Ben, whom she had chemistry with ever since the beginning of the story based from my observation. This way, after Ben's accident in the end and Annika should confront Chris and apologize to him for being the cause of his own fight with Ben. When they found out how Ben really got the accident, they would save him. However, an alternative ending is actually one of them dying. It may sound too dramatic but it may be a good one. Perhaps in this case will be Chris, who may have not achieved anything in his life because he was traumatized by the abuse he had endured when he was younger.

Or, if both men are alive, the ending scene should stay the same as how it is because it shows that their friendship doesn't end despite the fact that Annika doesn't end up with one of them. They also still want to run away from their problems and imagine that they already live in an age where the floods have gone bad and they would be stuck as a trio forever.

The movie's beautiful because it delivers many touching messages, however there are so many things lacking, which could've made the movie a lot better than what it has been made. The duration of the movie could be extended to two hours and thirty minutes to further delve into their lives.

6.7/10

Positively surprised, strong acting and story

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 10 December 2016]

"Renn, wenn du kannst" is a German movie from 2010, so this one had its fifth anniversary last year already. The director if this 110-minute movie is Dietrich Brüggemann and he also wrote the script together with his sister Anna. Anna is also the actress who plays the female protagonist, a cello player stuck between two very different men. These are played by Jacob Matschenz and Robert Gwisdek. While I have never been a big fan of his father, I still like the younger Gwisdek and his approach to acting, even if you must admit that in this film here he has really great material to work with, but he also nails pretty much all of his scenes. Matschenz, on the other hand, did not have such strong material to work with and the film is a bit underwhelming in terms of his character. It's not really his fault but more because of the writing, but his performance isn't really helping either. Oh well, in my opinion it was so much more about Brüggemann's and Gwisdek's characters. By the way the trio reunited only two years later for another Dietrich Brüggemann movie, "Drei Zimmer/Küche/Bad", but I thought that one was really garbage, while this one we have here is actually pretty nice thanks to the performances and other aspects.

I also liked the music for example and the last shot was kinda perfect. They will all go their own paths, but in our minds they stay together sitting as three. The story here, i.e. the overall plot, is a very strong component. I was never bored, but felt well-entertained throughout the entire film. Yes there were sequences that may have been a bit over the top, like the Heaven's Gate part at the end, but it's not too many and they also aren't that bad so that I would consider giving the film a weaker rating. On the contrary, the combined effort by everybody here gets this one actually closer to a ****/***** than a **/*****. I cannot deny Brüggemann's looks were also helping things. And the one thing you see in here are actual character transformations and I am talking about stuff that felt pretty authentic. The interactions never felt fake and the conflicts never felt unauthentic, which is maybe the Brüggemanns' biggest achievement here. The overall outcome is a convincing movie with a handful fairly memorable moments, a character study that is a definite contender for making it onto the list of best German films of 2010. I think you should check it out and I hope this is the level of quality Brüggemann will go for in his future works and not the one from the 2012 film I mentioned previously. "Run If You Can" is very much worth seeing.