Sommersturm [Summer Storm] *** (2004, Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullmann, Alicja Bachleda-Curuś, Miriam Morgenstern, Marlon Kittel, Hanno Koffler) – Classic Movie Review 12,370

The likeable and amusing 2004 German gay coming-of-age comedy-drama film Summer Storm stars Robert Stadlobe as nice Tobi, secretly in love with his rowing team buddy. The girls’ rowing team has to cancel and is replaced by an out, proud gay men’s team.

Director Marco Kreuzpaintner’s likeable and amusing 2004 German teen coming-of-age/ gay coming-out comedy-drama film Sommersturm [Summer Storm] stars Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullmann, Alicja Bachleda-Curuś, and Miriam Morgenstern. The screenplay by Thomas Bahmann and Marco Kreuzpaintner sets the story at a rowing competition and climaxes in the title summer storm.

Teams from over Germany arrive at a waterside camping ground for a week’s training ready for the rowing competition. Members of the Bavaria RSC rowing club train for the regatta but their extra-curricular hopes are dashed when the girls’ rowing team from Berlin has to cancel through illness and is replaced by Queerschlag (Queerstrokes), an out and proud gay youth men’s rowing team. The proverbial cat is set among the pigeons. The Bavarian boys apparently don’t like the Queer boys much, at least vocally, and at least some of them, and there is some raucous, rampant homophobia around the camping ground.

Robert Stadlober stars as the film’s nice, warm, soft and sensitive hero Tobi, secretly in love with his equally nice long-time buddy and teammate Achim (Kostja Ullmann), who is otherwise engaged, busy being involved with his rather brittle girlfriend Sandra (Miriam Morgenstern), while Tobi’s pretty girlfriend Anke (Alicja Bachleda-Curuś) understandably finds herself a bit spare. Tobi eventually gets up the courage to express his feelings to Achim, who then spurns the devastated Tobi, who finds some consolation with sympathetic Queerschlag member Leo (Marlon Kittel). Hanno Koffler plays the provocative Queerschlag guy Malte (Hanno Koffle), who sets himself the challenge of consoling himself with the homophobic Bavarian team straight boy, whose rich father has promised the RSC team two new boast if the win. So win they must, though Malte wants to win his sexual conquest too. Jürgen Tonkel plays the team coach Hansi, drawing the short straw as the film’s comedy relife.

It’s all nicely planned out and neatly done. The acting is as pleasing as the characters, and the teenage sexual confusion is well expressed and reasonably resolved in a honed screenplay. It’s a feel-good movie, with a happy ending of sorts, and for that much thanks. Robert Stadlober plays the hero appealingly, while Kostja Ullmann, Marlon Kittel and Hanno Koffler light up their provocative characters. the mood is generally lighthearted, and often comedic, but with bitter-sweet undercurrents, and a strong and successful attempt to cover all the bases with the issues involved. It does this real well, flying the rainbow flag proudly, without being preachy. There are some nice sharp, rough edges.

[Spoiler alert] After Tobi denies being gay under pressure, he finally comes out to his teammates, who have been rather miraculously all won over by the Queer boys, and see the error of their previous prejudiced ways. It ends with the Bavarian boys competing with Queerschlag in the regatta.

[Huge spoiler alert] The gays win, by the way! But it’s not the race that matters. It’s all about the boys who race.

Hanno Koffler starred in the hit 2013 film Freier Fall [Free Fall], along with Max Riemelt and Katharina Schüttler.

The cast are Robert Stadlober as Tobi, Kostja Ullmann as Achim, Alicja Bachleda-Curuś as Anke, Miriam Morgenstern as Sandra, Jürgen Tonkel as Hansi, Tristano Casanova as Georg, Marlon Kittel as Leo, Hanno Koffler as Malte, Ludwig Blochberger as Oli, Alexa Maria Surholt as Susanne, and Joseph M’Barek as Ferdi.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,370

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