Zettl

With the series Kir Royal and the main character, the gossip reporter Baby Schimmerlos, Helmut Dietl wrote TV history in the mid-1980s. Although Dietl was able to celebrate some great cinema successes in the last two decades, the satirical TV series is still considered his absolute masterpiece. Reason enough to revisit the world of Kir Royal now. The media satire Zettl, however, is not a direct continuation of the series, even if there is a reunion with some popular characters from Kir Royal.

Actually, Baby Schimmerlos should take over the management of a new Berlin culture magazine. Too bad that he had a fatal accident shortly before starting his new job. Now a successor has to be found. And this is the big moment for Max Zettl (Michael Bully Herbig), who actually only works as a chauffeur. But with his charm and his quick mouth, Zettl manages to convince Swiss billionaire Urs Doucier (Ulrich Tukur) that he is just the right man for the job. With the help of Herbie Fried (Dieter Hildebrandt), the former personal photographer of Baby Schimmerlos, Zettl is now supposed to launch an online test number for the new magazine in the shortest possible time. But whenever Zettl comes across a hot story from the world of the rich and powerful, from politics and show, his backer's influential friends seem to prevent publication. But a report about a man who allegedly contracted AIDS while visiting a hairdresser is not the only way to generate impressive click figures. And so now it's up to Zettl to find the shimmerless in him and let go.

Zettl is a somewhat half-baked cinematic delight. While there are some wonderful running gags and dialogue laced with superbly wicked cynicism that can only be described as brilliant, Dietl unfortunately overshoots the mark considerably at other moments. The first act in particular seems a little too concerned with biting wit and is more like a somewhat disoriented mess than a well-structured satire. But as time goes by, the film finds its pace and then in the second half of the film has significantly more good laughs to chalk up than weak moments. The script, written by Dietl together with Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre, threatens to collapse under the overloaded narrative structure, especially towards the end. But here the director, but also the great ensemble of actors, manages to turn the tide at the last moment.

In general, the actors contribute a large part to the fact that Zettl has become a great pleasure despite its weaknesses in the end. Michael Bully Herbig is just as convincing as a ruthless slimeball as he is as a charming seducer and shrewd tactician. Harald Schmidt also delivers a genuinely great performance as the Swabian Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. And Karoline Herfurth, Dieter Hildebrandt and Götz George are also beyond reproach. Only Ulrich Tukur's acting seems a bit too over-the-top, but it's hard to blame him for that, as he acts with such obvious glee that you're happy to forgive his over-the-top acting.

Dieter Hildebrandt and Senta Berger repeat their roles from Kir Royal here, thus reviving the spirit of the series in the film as well. But the plotline involving Mona Mödlinger and Herbie Fried doesn't quite want to integrate with the rest of the action. While Herbie's role in the story makes sense, the appearance of Mona seems a bit forced. Still, fans of the series are guaranteed to enjoy the reunion with these beloved characters.

The not-so-pretty editorial office of the new magazine, the political machinations in Berlin, Herbie's investigations in a celebrity clinic, and Zettl's seemingly never-resting mouth, all make this comedy a real recommendation for all fans of political satire. Zettl is not a new Kir Royal and has some noticeable flaws, but on balance, the film ends up being enough of a good time to warrant a trip to the cinema. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp