Tough Enough (2006)

"Knallhart" or "Tough Enough" is a German 90-minute (without credits) movie from 10 years ago. Director is Detlev buck, one of Germany's most known filmmakers these days. Lead actor is played by David Kross, before his international breakthrough in the Oscar-winning "The Reader". In this German movie here, he plays a teenager who is forced to move from the richer district of Berlin to the poorer when his mother breaks up with her sugar daddy. At his new school, he quickly gets into trouble with the local "mob" and his classmates force him to pay money on a regular basis. He also makes friends, but still it is a slow descent into crime as he is forced to steal the money. Not much later, he gets into contact with real criminals and he starts delivering drugs for them. As a reward, he does not only get paid properly, but they also help him against his bullies. But the longer the film goes, the more it becomes obvious that they are not his true friends.All in all, this was a pretty decent movie and the final scene with Michael, Erol and the others was truly gripping. Everything before that is fine too and this is certainly one of my favorite Detlev Buck films. Even Jenny Elvers is bearable in here and only has 1 or 2 not-so-good moments. Kross I am not the greatest fan usually, but he is okay too and physically works fine as well for the role with his innocent face. My favorites here are the supporting actors though, who all play their parts realistically. If you get in touch with the wrong people in Berlin-Neukölln, stuff like that can actually happen. Kida Khodr Ramadan gives a good performance as always, but everybody else is convincing too. Very gritty dive into the world of Berlin's organized crime that may be closer to us than we think and hope it isn't. Go check it out. The film also managed a great deal of awards attention and was picked as second-best of the year at the German Film Awards only beaten by "Das Leben der Anderen", which went on to win Germany an Academy Award.

The rising numbers of violent acts amongst teenagers are a big problem today. Especially young people should have the chance to develop their own identity, without having to deal with threats from fellow students or violence in their family. "Knallhart", a movie by director Detlev Buck and screenwriters Gregor Tessnow and Zoran Drvenkar, is good, because it is very realistic. We see that there is not much chance, that one doesn't get a victim or criminal in the place they are growing up. Our main character Michael has to decide whether he wants to stay a victim the rest of his days or if he wants to do something against it. Parts of today's youth just feel that there is no prospect for the future. Rising Unemployment and the gap between rich and poor getting bigger and bigger may be reasons for that. David Kross does an excellent job in playing Michael, but what makes "Knallhart" a really great movie, is that also all characters aside our hero have their moments. Everyone has a family, a past, problems that they are dealing with.

I caught Knallhart at the 2006 Chicago International Film Festival, where it drew massive applause as the credits rolled.Intense, realistic coming-of-age story set in the poor, predominantly Turkish suburb Neukoeln in Berlin. David Kross is spot-on as precocious, soft-spoken, world-weary 15 year old Michael, struggling to survive in the new world he's been thrust into after his mother's wealthy boyfriend shoves them out on the street. He seems unfazed through his constant violent run-ins with a local gang, as well as increasingly dodgy messenger assignments he gets through a friendship with the local drug lord, holding his stoic gaze until the escalating events eventually break him, and yet show his true strength and character. The movie is extremely gripping, gritty, and real; the camera is intimate with its characters, letting the audience marinate in the heaviness of a situation. The Soundtrack is notably powerful, weighty, and fitting, as is often with quality German films (Head On, Run Lola Run, Princess and the Warrior). Definitely recommended.

This film really got to me, probably because it was almost perfectly realistic. The characters are brilliantly drawn - no simplistic goodies or baddies. The setting, in the not-so-wealthy suburbs of Berlin, is very believable.Full marks for the acting and directing. There are some gutwrenching scenes in this film. I won't go into the details because I don't want to spoil a thing, but both physical and emotional violence are portrayed with an alarming conviction. I wish more film makers could achieve this instead of resorting to comic book fights or glossing over the brutal reality.I sincerely hope that this film is released internationally, and that it escapes the censors' scissors. It would be a shame if only German-speaking audiences could see it.