For anyone who hasn't seen this film, Run, Lola, Run is a German hyper-speed botched black market transaction flick. It doesn't take long at all to take off and when this movie gets going it demands the viewers attention at every single interval.

Lola was released in 1998. I'm not sure which movie had come out first, between Lola and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking barrels. And while they are entirely different entities, the styles to me were very similar. But I wouldn't go so far as to say one ripped off of the other, or vis-a-vis. The methods of multiple perspectives on the same sliver of time from different people while the audience is privileged to be the eye in the sky is employed here, just as it was in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

Yet, as rapid fire as Guy Ritchie drove the viewer down every avenue, Tom Tykwer aimed to propel the speed of Lola beyond a comfortable threshold, doing so with masterful precision. And, instead of sticking to the realism that is presented in the apotheosis of the moment like Ritchie, Tykwer drifted into that hypothetical realm of "What if's?". Throwing one scenario after another at the viewer in an underworld-flunky nightmare maze of choose your own adventure paths, where every single consideration of what could happen arrives in a destination of catastrophe.

I absolutely loved how Tykwer did a camera shutter highlight reel of the background of every individual that fate designed to meet at that exact moment in their lives.

After having been relegated to a strict diet of pedestrianism since July, I cross paths several times a day with people that I never remember seeing again. And often I do find myself wondering—if it were possible, of course—what sort of highlight reel would flutter off to give me a general idea of how they had arrived at their current emotional station of life in that exact moment. A habit that I'm willing to suppose isn't exclusive (as evidenced) to only myself.

Tykwer takes this curiosity and brilliantly weaves it in and out of every character to create a plausible universe of verisimilitude in which every reaction I came to accept.

The knocks were few for this gem.

As a male born child who had grown up in the 90's, it wasn't exactly a displeasure watching Franka Potente take up the bulk of the screen time running around in Tom boy gear and holding her own against police, gangsters, and corrupt family members.

The soundtrack was homemade techno (containing Franka's voice over the beats) and completely appropriate to the pace of the movie. Come to think of it, I couldn't imagine a different score other than techno to adequately sync the flow of Lola.

Many times I see directors attempt to push the boundary lines and flop. Much of which is due to throwing shit upon the windowsill and hoping it will stick. But not in Lola. The interspersing of animation, camera angles and duality of anguish with euphoria was a great mixture of success for me. Add in some solid acting from every cast member and you have a winner in my book.

Stars:****

Verdict: Watch

Cousins: The Killing, Magnolia, Natural Born Killers, Snatch, Go