Short Sharp Shock (1998)

One of the best German movies period! I grew up in Hamburg and went through similar things shown in this movie and I can relate to it better than to any other movie I've ever seen! This movie is a drama about the street life in Hamburg, about three friends making decisions that will change their life forever! One coming out of prison and trying to grow up and leave the criminal life behind him, while his two best friends don't let him, as they struggle themselves to find the right way in or out of the criminal lifestyle.If you like movies such as Mean Streets and La Haine, or if you are just interested to see the other side of Germany, then this movie is for you!

"Kurz und schmerzlos" means as much as "quickly and smoothly" and is a German underground drama by young Turkish film maker Fatih Akin. Shot in the suburbs and industrial area of Hamburg, Akin's home town, it was a big hit in German repertory cinemas in 1999.The film shows the life and fate of three young foreigners - Turk Gabriel, Greek Costa and Serb Bobby, all of them dreaming of love and money in the bleak surroundings of social welfare, crimes, industry, unemployment and cultural minorities. Of course it won't take long until the friendship of the three outsiders is about to break apart when Gabriel becomes a henchman for a local gangster boss, and a journey through violence and despair begins for all three of them...There are no special effects, no visual games, there is just pure "adrenaline acting" - except for Ralf Herforth ("Knocking on Heaven's Door") as gangster boss Muhamer, all actors are unknown newcomers, but with a great impact and brilliant performances. There is much realistic violence in it than can be felt in every second, and you really need to watch out for some contemporary American or Japanese underground stuff to find something similar. And the sound track is very good, too.But the movie shows also the social milieu and the problems of national minorities in a Western country like in the works of British film maker Hanif Kureishi ("My Beautiful Laundrette"). Watch out for this example for great contemporary German cinema, and although "Kurz und schmerzlos" avoids all the visual styling of "Lola rennt", it has the same impact and power like that international box office hit!

the movie is about a turkish guy who gets out of prison and sees himself tangled up in the same situations that he lived before, with his best friends stealing and dealing, only this time he himself has changed and has a very differentiated view of the daily crime and violence.the story unfolds with an interesting plot always centering the 3 friends in their daily life and how suddenly their live changes quickly when things go more wrong than they ever did before.a great job by the director. the pictures are beautiful at the same time very authentic. the story always feels real even though it has a lot of extreme situations in it. the characters move as they are depicted closely and without unnecessary sentiments. overall an extremly entertaining movie that brings us close foreign cultures from right around the corner.

Look,how this film is bewitched. The best character is played by Ralph Herforth as Muhamer: (Wenn dir deine Freundin dumm kommt, hau ihr eine rein. Und jetzt iss.) The film has a perfect music score.