Review of The Edukators (2004) by Tiago R — 18 Jan 2011

Jan (Daniel Bruhl, who played Alex in 'Good Bye Lenin' and Frederik Zoller, the German war hero in 'Inglourious Basterds'). Called in English 'The Edukators' rather than the direct translation from the German 'The Fat Years are Overâ(TM)', presumable because unlike the Germans, English speakers are entirely alienated from the common cultural heritage.

The three (originally just the boys) Edukators break into rich people's houses and rearrange the furniture leaving them messages on the wall. The trouble is that the fat-cat baddie, Hardenberg, who they actually confront, was once more one of them than they are; a 1968 radical free-love-and-communes leader of the Socialist German Student Union and a friend of Rudi Dutschke.

It remains an open question if Hardenburg would have been better able to handle the growing problem the three have - as Jan falls for his best mateâ(TM)s girlfriend. This of course is now, as it was in the 60s, the test of true friendship among us radicals. Superbly observed and wry study of the contradictions we tend to inhabit as aspiring and ex- radicals, and with a triumphant ending too, It worked for me,.