Summer Storm (2004)

SommerStrum – SUMMERSTORM – CATCH IT ( B+ ) SommerStrum is very heartwarming German movie, which avoids the general clichés of Camp movies. It's a simple story about a boy trying to figure out what he exactly wants is quite endearing. I love the way whole movie progresses and the humor quotient and good characterization makes it really captivating. Robert Stadlober is good, he was as convincing as mean jealous friend and as Caring loving friend too. Kostja Ullmann is gorgeous, no wonder Robert Stadlober fall in love with him. The chemistry between these two is really good. Alicja Bachleda is really gorgeous and her emotional range in performance can be seen in the movie. I have seen her in "Ondine" as well where she was mesmerizing. Miriam Morgenstern did her part really well. All the other young cast was also did their part really well and brought the humor and fun into the movie. Overall, its really enjoyable, real and inspiring movie about something feeling Different. I loved every moment of the movie. Must Watch it!

Summer Storm sets itself up to be, in a sense, a mindless teenage movie about sexual angst, frustration, and the desire to be 'understood'. Or at least, this is what I thought it would be seeing after viewing the trailer and hearing several reviews. However, this myth on my behalf was quickly shattered upon viewing the film. The film takes into account more than simply a throw away story, but assesses the characters feelings, and mirrors in the films pacing as what can truly be referred to as a storm.The most compelling thing about the film is undoubtedly the story. In many teenage based movies (American, at least) the plot revolves around a relationship that seems improbable. Now, while either these movies let this relationship occur, or they don't, they are still acknowledging the possibility that this could happen (i.e. Jim with Nadia in American Pie),Summer Storm breaks this trend to show the sheer impossibility of Tobi's (Robert Stradlober) situation. Achim's (Kostja Ullman) heterosexuality doesn't diminish Tobi's chances of having a relationship with him, but they completely destroy them. Contrarily, there is absolutely no hope that Anke (Alicja Bachleda-Curus) will ever be able to have a relationship with Tobi due to his homosexuality. Unlike almost every other teen-film that comes to mind, this film doesn't focus on the characters' attempts to have this impossible relationship, but rather, focuses on their realizations that this relationship will never occur. This heavy plot gives the theme and overall tone of the film a relatively depressing one. To alleviate much of this despondency, the director (Marco Kreuzpaintner) utilizes both filming techniques, as well as side plots to create a unique blend of highs and lows that represent very well, the tumultuous twists and turns of a storm.To combat the often depressing nature of the film there are many scenes of comedic relief spread throughout the film. In fact, Tobi, at the beginning, shows an exorbitant amount of exuberance and humor. This fades, however as the movie progresses into a much darker realm. The appearance of the "Queerstrokes" also adds a lot of humor to the otherwise seriousness of Tobi's rowing crew.The film also parallels the motions of a storm in the actions and feelings of the characters. Tobi and Achim start out as well adjusted best friends who do everything together, and are looking forward to an exciting time at rowing camp. The apex lies in the middle of the film in the forest and is definitely noticeable as the climax of the film. Immediately following is, in a sense, the eye of the storm. The denuma is extraordinarily long, but serves as aftermath to the storm or conflict that preceded it. The film ends on a happy note with a sense of possibility, and in my opinion parallels that of the film Get Real (1998).Summer Storm is unique because it doesn't focus on the "Coming Out" aspect that many gay teen films focus on. It acknowledges that the character is already out on his own terms, and the friction lies over his feelings about his best friend. This tension and how it plays out over the film, combined with aspects of comedic relief and pacing of the film let the audience become immersed in the story and think in terms of the characters and their struggles.

Strange film grace of his original beauty. The essence is self-discover of a teenager but, not his obsessive love for his friend, the ambiguity of feelings, the moral end or the fight with himself, the contact with the "others" are important . The essence is the splendid art to tell, in honest way, with delicate images and ordinary scenes the evolution of a crisis, the gestures of a age, the love as miracle, the fixation and desire of an outsider for who his self-image and the opinion of friends is the fundamental punishment.To be yourself like horrible sin.It is not a original story but this film is great for the subtle science to discover, without pity, compassion or masks a real slice of existence.The love for an Achim or the desire for be normal in a homophobic society are not only artistic themes and the message of film is, in fact, to be a model to self definition, a subject to meditation, a point to search of truth against others, against yourself.Only, the commercial happy-end. The shadows are not a so short life. But, the intentions , the honesty of work, the game with lights and the good interpretation are more important.

Being German I really appreciate the authenticity of the movie. Given the fact that director Marco Kreuzpaintner was in his late 20s when he wrote the script and that it was nearly autobiographical, the story takes place in the early 1990s when he was 17-18 years old, and everything from the worn 1970s bus they use for their journey in the beginning to the lack of cell-phones (no way for a teenager to hide in the forest nowadays - just call him and the ringing will tell you which tree he sits on ;) !!) exactly fits into this period of time. It was also the early 1990 when more and more exclusively gay-lesbian sports-clubs occurred in the bigger cities over here (for soccer, scuba-diving, rowing, etc.), and they almost always use some kind of a pun for their names("Vorspiel" (foreplay), "Gaysha" (Karate)), to name a few), just like Queerschlag did, which exists in reality to this very day. On that background, my reception of the movie is that it is more about Tobi's love for Achim than about his coming out. Tobi has fallen in love with his best friend, and that is something that is happening to young gays all the time. It is a very painful process when you have to realize that your mate, who shared his time and feelings with you for years and years, other than yourself will not be able to turn that friendship into love and sexual tenderness. Tobi's coming out at the end is only the result of the fact that he learned that Achim will never be able to love him the way he does and that he has to accept this. So after all this movie is both about accepting heterosexual and homosexual love. By the way, as some of the posters here misunderstood, the "lake" were the story takes place is in fact a 100+ years old reservoir (thats why you see the sandy banks in summer), and it is not in Bavaria, but in an area called "Bergisches Land" a few hundred miles north of Bavaria (if you want to find it in Google Earth, search for "Wipperfürth").