Maximilian Erlenwein | Schwerkraft [Gravity] (2009)

The Audi German film festival is good. Maximilian Erlenwein’s Schwerkraft (2009) allows Frederick Feinermann (Fabian Hinrich) and Vince Holland (Jürgen Vogel) to explore the possibilities of existence in desultory contemporary Germany. There is much delicious anarchic vim and black humour, familiar to anglos from David Fincher’s Fight Club (1999) and Guy Ritchie’s Snatch (2000). There are many fine scenes. I enjoyed the sadly romantic scene set in a crepuscular aquarium.  Plump fish can clearly be seen waggling past the lovers. While Mr Feinermann tries awkwardly to woo Nadine Joris (Nora von Waldstätten), the dissonant clamour of excited school girls can faintly be discerned. As the scene progresses the screaming increases until the large ecstatic party burst in upon the shy couple and surge about them like a blue shoal of pink hungry salmon.