All You Need Is Love [Meine Schwiegertochter ist ein Mann] *** (2009, Saskia Vester, Helgi Schmid, Manuel Witting, Jürgen Tonkel, Jenny Elvers, Franziska Traub) – Classic Movie Review 13,942

The 2009 German romantic comedy film All You Need Is Love [Meine Schwiegertochter ist ein Mann] is a wake-up call from the fun loving Berlin gays to the boring, bigoted Bavarian straights.

The 2009 German romantic comedy film All You Need Is Love [Meine Schwiegertochter ist ein Mann] stars Saskia Vester, Helgi Schmid, Manuel Witting, Jürgen Tonkel, Jenny Elvers, Franziska Traub. It’s a wake-up call from the fun loving Berlin gays to the boring, bigoted Bavarian straights.

Katharina (Saskia Vester) gets an unexpected letter from her son Hans (Helgi Schmid) announcing that he is getting married and that he and his fiancé Nicki (Manuel Witting) are leaving Berlin to visit her. Hans has sent news to his divorced parents of his plans to get married in his Bavarian alpine village hometown but causes a local scandal when he brings with him a man instead of the woman they are expecting. Hans’s dealer father (Jürgen Tonkel) is a local yokel, runs a car dealership, and is married to the simply awful Vera (Jenny Elvers). Katharina’s best friend and neighbour Rosi (Franziska Traub) is in the church choir with her.

Silly and sentimental it may be, but it is also so amusing and incredibly well meaning that it can be forgiven almost anything. Is Bavaria really this backward? Quite possibly. Is Bavaria really this lovely looking? Quite definitely. Folks who don’t like romcoms should stay well clear, the rest of us can sit back and relax and take the Bavarian air with a large glass of schnapps and an even larger pinch of salt. The film has no time for bigots, religious or otherwise, and sells its message loud, clear and gaily. A winning performance by Saskia Vester as the mother and a pleasing one from Helgi Schmid helps a lot to sell it. Jürgen Tonkel, Jenny Elvers and Franziska Traub give the kind of broad comedy performances you’d expect in a TV sitcom.

It is directed by Edzard Onneken, and written by Kerstin Österlin and Jessica Schellack.

The music is composed by Michael Kadelbach and the film includes a performance of The Beatles’ ‘All You Need Is Love’ performed by Franziska Taub. This is a risky ending to the film, but they just about get away with it. As it’s a romcom, nothing bears any resemblance to reality, does it? In any case, it’s no worse than Love, Actually, in some ways better, actually.

Running time: 92 minutes.

It premiered on the German TV channel Sat.1 on November 3, 2009.

Meine Schwiegertochter ist ein Mann translates into English as My Daughter-In-Law Is a Man.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,942

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