MAENNERHEZEN/ MEN IN THE CITY

Germany, 2010, 107 minutes, Colour.
Christian Ulmen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Til Schweiger, Maxim Mehmet, Florian David Fitz.
Directed by Simon Verhoeven.

Men in the City was a very popular film in Germany, telling a story of five younger middle aged man, a personal crises, their relationships, decisions in their workplaces. It is all done with a light touch.

The film features some prominent German actors led by Til Schwager and Florian David Fitz.
While the film focuses on a broken marriage, and awkward type who wants to date, a bespectacled advertisement producer and his strict planning, an unemployed man and his dreams to open a restaurant, as well as a man who works in the recording industry and loathes the artist for whom he has to work, there are also some strong women in the film as well.

1. The popularity of the film in Germany? Worldwide?

2. The Berlin settings, offices and apartments, playgrounds and zoos, restaurants, shops and supermarkets, the music world? Audiences able to identify with the locations? The musical score? The songs?

3. The range of men, their ages, typical behavior, attitudes, relationships with women, commitments, family, marriage breakup?

4. The inter-cutting of the stories? The connections between the men? At the gym, at the zoo, apartment neighbours, the restaurant and the inspector?

5. Roland’s story: at the gym, surly, train driver, his anger and going through the 23 stations, the separation from his wife, child? Following his wife, the arguments? Going to the zoo, the clash with the crocodile? His imprisonment? The irony of the biscuits sent by Beate and her being the online date with Gunther and leaving him? Roland and his father, his father’s senility, the biscuits, their talking, his dismay on arriving to find that his father had died?

6. Gunther’s story? At the gym, his lack of fitness, eccentric personality, looking for a date, the meeting with Beate, his chatter, her leaving, at the zoo, his work, the supermarket and his meeting Roland’s wife, the continued meetings, her son and the little girl friend? Outings? Going to the zoo, Roland’s attack, and the water with the crocodile, in hospital? A future with the Roland’s wife?

7. Jerome’s story: Man about town, with women, in the music business, the producer, the singer and his not wanting to work with him? The pressures, the parties, the offer of the big job? The singer and his personality, being persuaded to support him, the singing moving in, the discussions in the house, in the bedroom, Jerome and his becoming weary? The production of the record, the concert, success? The singer dependent on Jerome and hugging him? Jerome at the gym, fit? Niklas and his coming to the apartment to object to the noise, joining the party, discussions with Jerome? Jerome ousting everyone, the producer included? talking to the singer? His going back to visit his girlfriend of many years earlier?

8. Niklas and: in the advertising firm, his adventurous campaigns, praise from his bosses, his relationship with Nina, his always having a plan, the wedding and the arrangements? His feeling that his life was narrowing? The comments from the man in the photos for the campaign? The Man about town? The cook? Different advice? Nina and her acting, her wanting a freer life? His visit to Hamburg, going to the bar, the Man on the ad, meeting the girl, the night, his being ashamed, returning home, Nina and her criticism, the fact that she had gone to Hamburg? Canceling the wedding? Being gloomy, going to Jerome’s party, talking? Deciding to go on the honeymoon by himself, indefinitely? Nina’s response, her change of heart, their going together on the plane?

9. Philip, not having a job, his girlfriend, her pregnancy? The discussions about abortion, his change of heart, going to the clinic, her not turning up? His need for a job, being sacked? Holding the arrow to the pizza parlor in Alexanderplatz? His wanting to start a restaurant, going to the corner site, working on it, the visit by Guenther, his not having the correct permits? Disappointment, coping, with his girlfriend? Dismantling in the restaurant, Gunther’s arrival after his own ordeal, with the permits?

10. The focus on men, the relationship with women, how strong were the women? Roland’s wife with her son and the farewell to the little girl to Bavaria? Nina and her career, dissatisfaction with Nicklaus, changing her mind? The singers and models in Jerome’s world?

11. A particularly German story, but universal in its application?