Run Lola Run

Lola (Potente) has a problem: her boyfriend Manni (Bleibtreu) is in a state of terminal panic after losing a hefty slice of his gangster boss's fortune; unless Lola can somehow raise 100,000 marks and reach him in 20 minutes, he'll do something seriously stupid - rob a store, say - before the boss turns up. So off she runs; trouble is, with time tight, one slip might mean curtains for Manni. Tykwer's film has already taken a fortune in various territories, and it's not hard to see why. For one thing, the plotting, which posits three different scenarios for Lola's rescue mission, is both a familiar old warhorse and ingeniously modern. For another, Tykwer deploys various eye-catching visual techniques to transform what is essentially a very simple story into a slick, tricksy entertainment. Finally, with its techno score, super-fit punk heroine and cynical take on the adult establishment, it's cannily aimed at the youth market. That said, it's as shallow as a puddle. Not only is the story contrived and often implausible, and the sporadic romanticism superficial, but it's hard to feel real sympathetic concern for Manni; if it weren't for Potente's solid, spirited performance, Lola's desperate quest would be revealed as the high-concept narrative hook it really is.