Review of A Coffee in Berlin (2012) by Ethan T — 27 Jul 2013

Niko is a feckless wastrel, messing around in Berlin in his 20s while his rich dad pays the bills, thinking he's persisting with his studies. That is, until dad bumps into Niko's long-unseen professor and cuts his son adrift.

Following a day in the Niko's life, Oh Boy offers a solid and likeable lead performance from Tom Schilling, whose Niko is no tortured soul - all he wants is a plain, ordinary cup of coffee to get his life back on track.

In this quest seemingly insurmountable obstacles thwart him at every turn, lending this dry German comedy a silent-film era knowingness with Schilling as a put-upon modern Harold Lloyd. A series of encounters with friends, oddballs and intellectuals buffet our hero about the city, which is lovingly filmed in black and white and etched with a jazz soundtrack - Woody Allen is another definite reference point.

There is no great quest for meaning here, just an engaging set of performances in a sprightly, well-crafted film.