FRAKTUS is a Mockumentary about the Reunion of an 80's Elektro-Pop-Band that resembles KRAFTWERK quite a bit. One could call it a German version of "this is Spinal Tap". Sounds dull? No, really, you should give it a chance -- This is one of the frustratingly rare gems of German comedy!
Only two other German feature film comedies (that I know of) come to mind which worked as fine as this one: Loriot's "Papa ante Portas" and Helge Schneider's "Texas". FRAKTUS could be located right in the middle between those two very different films, because the former is a work of almost mathematically crafted comedy and the latter a spontaneous collage of improvised scenes. FRAKTUS is a mixture of those approaches, and miraculously it all blends together in the most hilarious way.
The Movie was written and the Band Members are played by a German Trio of Radio-Comedians/Novelists/Actors/Singer-Songwriters and what not called "Studio Braun". Those Guys are mostly just called Comedians, but in Germany that comes close to an insult. One could better describe them as all-round-Artists of the Unexpected and the Psychedelic. They don't seem to care about making an audience laugh, they even dare to be hated (and by many they are!). So everything they've done so far is quite the opposite of mainstream comedy.
I don't know how the movie works with subtitles, but also for a non-German audience there should be much to enjoy. The Soundtrack itself is a work of genius. It's crafted so well that it singlehandedly tells the story of a band's journey from experimental music to pure remix- crap. The huge amount of mock artwork, album covers, Tour Posters, Photos etc. featured throughout the film also deserve credit for being a spot-on emulation of the early 80's underground style. But the biggest achievement of the movie is the portrayal of the three main characters, which seems to happen casually but is all the more effective. Needless to say they're all not very likable. They can't stand each other but try to overcome that for what they think is the greater good. And that maybe is the most German thing about the movie.
To sum it up: FRAKTUS is one of those movies I will frequently re-watch for the rest of my life! I strongly advise you to go see it!
9/10
