FREDDY/EDDY

Germany, 2016, 94 minutes, Colour.
Felix Schaeffer, Jessica Schwartz, Greta Bohacek, Alexandre Finkenwirth, Burkhart Klaussner.
Directed by Tini Tullmann.

Freddy/Eddy is a German drama about identity.

Freddy, is an artist, married with a son, his wife unfaithful, his being accused of assaulting her, his going to court, his denials, his sentence. He loses his reputation and exhibitions as an artist.

In his discussions with a psychiatrist, he reveals that he had childhood friend, Eddy. Eddy now seems to be reappearing and Freddy is unsure whether he is hallucinating or this is a real. The audience is also unsure. Freddy resumes his life, meeting our friendly woman in the town, outings with her daughter and his son. However, with Eddie’s reappearance, matters are difficult and different. The young girl is assaulted. Freddy is blamed.

Freddy deals with his half brother, David, who is sympathetic, believes it is all hallucination, but becomes involved in tracking down whether Freddy had a twin brother who survived, discovers that he was in an orphanage, is eventually attacked by Eddy.

There is complex drama the end, Freddy fighting Eddy, Eddy getting the upper hand, assuming his brothers identity – and Freddy seen in a post-credits glimpse in hospital.

1. An identity drama? Freddy, artist, marriage, son, his wife’s infidelity, the bashing, the court case?

2. German production, the town setting, homes and apartments, galleries, hospitals, the countryside, the lake? The musical score?

3. The idea of a doppelgänger? Twins? The death of a twin? Survival and search for identity? Vengeance?

4. Freddy, his age, experience, his art, the bashing of his wife, the court case, his denials, custody of his son, the visits and outings? The reputation lost for his art, the gallery and removal of his paintings? His living in the countryside? The encounter with Paula, friendship, the friendship and outings with Mizi, and his son?

5. Psychiatrist, talk about his childhood friend? Eddy, his reappearing, clothes, manner, discussions with Freddy?

6. Theories that it was Eddy who bashed the wife? His reappearance is and challenging Eddy? Seemingly ghostlike?

7. The mother, the death of Eddy, blaming Freddy, the story of her behaviour, his survival, going to the orphanage, finding his identity, identifying Freddy, taking over his personality, his life, clothes and manner?

8. Eddy vindictive, the assault on Mizi, her later response? His treatment of her?

9. Freddy, Eddy challenging him, the fights and the injuries?

10. Eddy, assuming Freddy’s identity, with Mizi, with Paula? Freddy in hospital?

11. Eddy and his manner? The final post-credits glimpse and Freddy in the hospital?