Run Lola Run - A Tom Tykwer Movie

Remember that gypsy who gets caught up with Jason Bourne in the 2002 film adaptation The Bourne Identity? Well, before Franka Potente played Jason's love Marie she played Lola in the crime thriller Run Lola Run (1998) on a mission to prevent her boyfriend (Manni) from committing a robbery after losing 100,000 DM in a subway that he was returning to a bad guy.

Here's what made this a great movie for me:

• A simple plot, but the execution of the whole movie was so unique I was completely intrigued.
• By the end of the movie you're left wondering whether or not time travel was involved (not everyone enjoys this, but I enjoy that bit of mystery).
• For a movie that's twenty years old, it really is top notch and I would go as far as saying it's better than many of the movies that came out in the last few years.

The Cast

1. Franka Potente - Lola

Franka Potente was born in Germany and went on to study drama in New York. Run Lola Run is considered her "break through" role and went on to star in The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy with Matt Damon. You might also recognize her from the Conjuring 2 where she played Anita Gregory, the spy Nadia in Season 5 of Psych, or her role with Nicholas Cage in the upcoming indie film Between Worlds.

2. Moritz Bleibtreu - Manni

I'm not sure if Moritz Bleibtreu has acted in any US films, but he does play in the German TV show Shades of Guilt that I've been wanting to see. Throughout Run Lola Run I kept wondering where I had seen him before because I know I've watched something with him in it. When looking up his filmography I realized I'd seen him from the movie The Experiment, a terrifying retelling of that social experiment where people are put into a facility, some given roles as "prison guards" and others as the "prisoners". I really couldn't finish watching this film because it is just so horrifying.

The Movie

My initial reaction to reading the movie's synopsis was that this was going to be boring. I mean, when you can tell me the plot in under 10 words is that really enough for an hour and twenty minute movie? The answer is absolutely yes. The fact that such a simplistic movie could surprise me is pure beauty. It was inventive, the acting was phenomenal, and if you haven't seen it you should stop reading this and go watch it now.

What was the last movie you watched that took you by surprise?