"An important point for me was that someone who does not know how love works comes across someone who wants nothing further to do with love. Attitudes from experience meet attitudes from non-experience."
This is how German director Tom Tykwer, who first came to prominence in the United States via his 1998 film "Run Lola Run," describes the two main characters in his latest movie, "The Princess and the Warrior."
He's talking about Sissi (Franka Potente, "Run Lola Run," "Blow"), a nurse in a Wuppertal, Germany psychology ward, and Bodo (Benno Furmann), an ex-soldier and aspiring criminal who has lost his wife in an accident. The two meet when Sissi, out for a walk with a patient, is struck by a truck and Bodo saves her life. Of course, since the accident was a result of Bodo being chased by a pair of security guards, whether or not he saved her life is debatable.
But the initial connection, and then tension, between the two is the engrossing conflict that makes the two hour and 15 minute-long film seem to fly by. Although the soundtrack is just as good, fans of the breakneck pace of "Run Lola Run" shouldn't expect more of the same.
While the 80-minute "Lola" sprints along, "The Princess and the Warrior" is carefully paced so that we have time to meet and understand these characters.
"At first sight they both appear very puzzling," Tykwer told an interviewer, "but I like it when you meet people in the cinema who at first seem pretty extreme, but then the film forces you to get to know them, to come to terms with them and even to like them."
And that's exactly what happens. Both Sissi and Benno do indeed appear odd and alone -- even when surrounded by others -- but as their stories unfold, we get a glimpse of the emotional baggage each carries and ultimately we're on their side, even when we don't agree with their actions, and we want them to win out in the end.
Therein lies Tykwer's biggest success. While "Lola" was a thrill ride and a cinematic examination of chance, "The Princess and the Warrior" digs deep into the heart of humanity and is, in the end, a romance; an odd romance, but a romance nevertheless.
Tykwer can't help being still a little smitten with the questions of fate and chance -- and with some remarkable camera angles -- but this is a well-written, wonderfully-acted movie about people. Don't miss it.
Grade: A
"The Princess and the Warrior" opens Fri., July 13, at Landmark's Oriental Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
