Film: Men in drag are always the stuff of which cinema comedies of the more clamorous kind are made. Whether the various incarnations of Charlie`s Aunt, the box office successes Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire, or teen comedies like He`s my Girl, moviegoers have been laughing at guys trying to act like women for many decades now. These films are rarely really good. Tootsie, for example, was a pleasant exception. And Rubbeldiekatz, the new comedy by Detlev Buck, also manages to entertain pretty darn well, despite many familiar clichés and a few obligatory gags, and also pleases with a great ensemble of actors.
For years, theater actor Alexander Honk (Matthias Schweighöfer) has been hoping for that one big role that could help him break into film. When a big Hollywood production comes to Berlin and is still looking for actors, Alexander sees his chance has come. It's just too bad that Alexander's website only shows photos from his starring role in Charley Tante, so he's cast for the part of the blonde Maria. But a real professional doesn't let such a little thing stop him. And indeed Alexander aka Alexandra gets the part But that's just where the chaos begins. Not only does Alexander have to deal with a neurotic director, an angry ex-girlfriend, an overly pushy Hitler actor (wonderful: Max Giermann) and his chaotic brothers (Detlev Buck, Maximilian Brückner) and mutual buddy Jan (Denis Moschitto). He also falls in love with his acting partner, of all people, superstar Sarah Voss (Alexandra Maria Lara). And she, of course, only sees Alex as the chummy colleague Alexandra. And of course that can't go well...
Rubbeldiekatz certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel. Many set pieces of the story are too obviously borrowed from Tootsie, other scenes clearly show the handwriting of screenwriter Anika Decker (KeinOhrHasen and ZweiOhrKüken) and many of the gags have been seen in this or similar ways in many other comedies. And yet the film works really well. Detlev Buck has simply found the right mix of charming characters, spot-on situation comedy and romantic comedy. What with other actors or in the hands of another director could easily have animated to the Fremdschämen and run away, irritates here alone the laugh muscles.
Whether Switch Reloaded star Max Giermann as an actor subscribed to the role of Hitler, who can not always separate his true self and his parade role, Milan Peschel as a particularly helpful costume designer or the chaos troupe around Alexander's brothers, it's all just right. And even if the scenes around the jealous ex (Susanne Bormann) are sometimes a bit too clamorous, there are enough moments that work as a successful counterbalance. A highlight is for example a scene in which Alexander tries to learn to park especially cool backwards to impress Sarah. Simply delicious.
A real surprise, however, is Matthias Schweighöfer, who can not only convince again with his mischievous charm, but also makes a really good figure as a woman. Of course, Schweighöfer is always a guy in drag for the audience. But it's somewhat understandable why the film team around the American director actually believes that their Maria is actually portrayed by an actress.
Rubbeldiekatz is great fun that takes a bit to get going, but then has an extremely high gag density. The fun the cast had filming is so obvious that the viewer is quickly infected by it. If you like light comedy from Germany with a great ensemble and a funny story, sprinkled with a pinch of romance, don't hesitate and rub the Katz. It's worth it!
Picture + Sound: Technically, the DVD is on a good level. The slightly alienated colour scheme adds a pleasant warmth to the action, which is supported by good overall sharpness. Only in the darker scenes can a few minor weaknesses be spotted here. The sound is dominated by the well intelligible mixed dialogue and the good soundtrack, but here and there smaller sound effects provide a little movement in the surround. Good!
Extras: In addition to an audio commentary by director Detlev Buck and screenwriter Anika Decker, the DVD has a few short making of clips, character portraits and promotional interviews to offer. There are also a few nice outtakes, almost ten minutes of uncommented B-roll footage, a short clip from the premiere in Berlin and from the promotional New Year's barbecue, as well as music videos for the songs L.O.V.E. and That Man. Apart from the audio commentary, it can be stated quite clearly that the entertainment value has been put before the information content in the extras. Those who really want to learn something about the making of the film should therefore definitely listen to the audio commentary.
Conclusion: Rubbeldiekatz is an entertaining German comedy, which is clearly tailored to lead actor Matthias Schweighöfer, but thanks to the good-humored ensemble still works even if you are not the biggest Schweighöfer fan. The DVD is technically well realized, the bonus material is extensive, but unfortunately a bit superficial. If you like light German comedy entertainment and like to be reminded of Tootsie, you can safely grab this one!
Ein Artikel von Frankfurt-Tipp
