Small Goat, Stubborn Goat

As a second-rate Elvis impersonator, Jakob (Wotan Wilke Möhring) may be able to please the residents of old people's homes and end up with their young nurses, but he doesn't get rich from it. In order not to have to move back in with his parents in his late 30s, he is forced to take on unusual jobs. One of them is the transport of a ram to Norway. But just as he is about to embark on the journey, he learns that he is the father of a 12-year-old girl and that his daughter Mai (Sofia Bolotina) is desperate to meet her producer. And so Jakob is forced to take the girl with him on the trip to Norway. Bubbling conflicts are inevitable. The sheep spreads a not exactly pleasant smell in the rickety van, Mai lets the spoiled goat hang out in front of her father and Jakob is completely overwhelmed with his new role. The journey threatens to end in chaos before it has really begun. But the road still holds a few surprises for the unusual trio.

At first glance, the synopsis of Kleine Ziege, Sturer Bock sounds as if Til Schweiger has written a new film for himself and one of his daughters. Dramaturgically, the similarities to Schweiger comedies like Kokowääh are undeniable. But in all other aspects this beautiful father-daughter story is clearly superior to the Schweiger blockbusters. Now this is not meant to be Til Schweiger bashing. After all, his films make a lot of people happy and that's something that counts for all the justified criticism. Still, the inherently beautiful stories are too often completely watered down by intrusive songs, overly flat gags, and overplayed acting by the cast. And Kleine Ziege, Sturer Bock shows that it is also good in other ways.

Admittedly, Uli Aselmann, who is the overall director of the film, and Johannes Fabrick (Der letzte schöne Tag), who is responsible for the production, do not dispense with the usual clichés. Some of the dialogues are laid on too thick, while the one or other gag, on the other hand, is too thin. Nevertheless, they show a restraint in the realization of the nice story, which is too often missing in other German comedies. So the acting of the actors, especially the convincing new discovery Sofia Bolotina, seems pleasantly natural. And when it gets a bit silly, it is not served with a sledgehammer, so that even these gags work well.

The whole thing is embedded in beautiful landscape shots, which then also give the production a certain cinematic flair. It may be that Kleine Ziege, Sturer Bock does not revolutionize the genre of German family comedy. But the film not only has a lot of heart, but also convinces with a sensitive production and good actors. And for that there is a very clear: Worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp