Cloud 9 (2008)

One of my all time favorites.

How sad is this?

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

"Wolke 9" or "Cloud 9" is a German movie from 2008, so this one will have its 10th anniversary next year. The writer and director is Andreas Dresen, one of Germany's most successful filmmakers and possibly the most successful from the former GDR right now. The title of this movie is a play on words (and numbers) with the German "Wolke 7", where you find people that are in love, so the translation Cloud 9 is not accurate at all as it should be Cloud 10 or 11 perhaps. Anyway, this movie here is about a woman slightly under the age of 70, who has been married for a long time, but falls in love with another man. This has drastic consequences of course on her life, on her husband's life and also on the new guy's life. This film received major awards recognition at several prestigious ceremonies, such as the Cannes Film Festival or the European Film Awards. At the German Film Awards, Dresen won for his direction, Werner won for her lead performance and the movie itself was picked as one of the top three of the year.I personally felt as if this film needed quite a while to get going and become interesting. But from the moment on when her husband finds out about the affair, even if that is already pretty late in the movie, things get better quickly and I was mostly underwhelmed before that. I would also say that i was not too impressed by Werner here. She did what she had to and she wasn't bad, but it was nowhere near such an awards-worthy turn in my opinion. I guess they honored her because of her courage as she is in nude and sex scenes despite her age. The film is much more about the script here than about individual performances. The depiction of life and sexuality above the age of 60 is something that is just not done frequently in film, maybe because many don't find it too much of an interesting, let alone, aesthetic topic. So it's okay that Dresen did it I guess. But being different is not the same as being good, so you should not appreciate a film merely for the reason that it elaborates on a subject that has not been elaborated on that much. You still have to deliver quality. For example there are hundreds of Nazi-themed films out there and occasionally, they still manage to make convincing new ones despite the quantity of films existing already from this corner of the movie genre world.Anyway, all in all, I recommend "Wolke 9" as it was a decent watch and there were no real weaknesses about the film. At 95 minutes, it is already pretty essential, even if it dragged on some occasions in the first half of the film. What I also liked, however, were the musical interruptions here that provided a strong contrast to the more serious scenes that came before or after these. "Freude schöner Götterfunken" is always a joy for sure. I give this movie a thumbs-up, but just a cautious one and I think the awards attention really may have been far too much.

"Wolke 9" German film title for 'Cloud 9'. The subject may not be so novel, it's about love and marriage, or you might say relationship 101 revisited. Yet the aspect of falling in love afresh for a woman at 67, discovering her erogenous zones and feelings with a new beau of 76 and thereafter certainly made us open our eyes and care for the persons involved. What does one do back at home with the husband of 30 years of marriage? What is the husband like? She tries to fight it as social norm expects, but this falling in love again feeling is irresistible. It's enchanting passion. It's an opportunity to take a look at what's really happening to one's stage in life at hand. And is the 76-year old lover worth the 'trouble' - what is he like? And we are also introduced to the daughter - what does she thinks of her mother's secret? Director Andreas Dresen, who co-wrote the screenplay with three other writers, has given us a natural happenstance of love affairs, exceptional in the sense that the story exclusively revolves around 'older' maturing-age people - a theme seldom seen on screen. It's heartening to be able to appreciate the straightforward approach to the love-making scenes that are intimately explicit, accepting the anatomy of matured bodies, wrinkled or soft. Any nudity scenario is not at all gratuitous but simply befitting to what's happening at the particular moment of the 'storyline'.Inge, our 67 year old heroine of the story, is portrayed with impressive naturalness and emotional depth by Ursula Werner - best actress awards well-deserved. Karl, the refreshing energy source for Inge, is remarkably played with vitality by Horst Westphal - yes, we want to go cycling, swimming, attend racing events and run in the rain with him. Werner, the husband, is played restrainedly effective by Horst Rehlberg, demonstrating how listless his life has become, in spite of occasional cuddling affection in bed with Inge, spending time with grandchildren, visiting his father at convalescent home, even listening to 'choo-choo' train are just dull routines that raise no smile. He does seem so tired - of life? Inge's affair probably makes his head hurt - does he have to make extra effort to enjoy life? The story centrally revolves around Inge, hence besides the emotional ups and downs, we get to follow her going about with daily activities, including the added touch of belonging to a women's church choir, participating in rehearsals and singing songs together - comfortable camaraderie detected. (In the press kit - available on Cannes 2008 online under "Cloud 9" page* - director Dresen's comments are included, and he mentioned that it was Ursula Werner who suggested the 'choir' aspect of Inge's life.) 'Cloud 9' is worthwhile viewing and highly recommended.Films by association: I recall the Brazilian film by Marcos Bernstein, "The Other Side of the Street" 2004, contains a tender exchange scene between two older persons making love (Fernanda Montenegro as Regina and Raul Cortez as Camargo) which was sensitively delivered unabashed. Paul Cox's film "Innocence" 2000, with Julia Blake as Claire and Charles Tingwell as Andreas, also marvelously depicts a married woman falling in love again in her 'later years' - not an impossible or improbable scenario at all.* Cannes Festival - Festival Archives - 2008 - Selections - 'Un Certain Regard' - Wolke 9

Andreas Dresen has given us the most memorable movie in a long time. Great actors in front of a patient camera that either stands still to let action evolve or focuses on the faces. There is hardly any dialog in the first half of the film, character development occurs through the camera. It's the cinematic language that brings to mind Mike Leigh's films. As to the buzz about "old sex" - it's true, Mr. Dresen has broken into new realms showing elderly people making love good and proper, with lots of detail but never once overstepping limits of good taste. This movie concerns every one of us. Especially those over 60 will come out of the show and not be able to stop talking about it for hours, as it happened in Buenos Aires when strangers started lively discussions while walking out into the bright late afternoon. Don't miss it! It will shake you, but not break you, and certainly stay with you for a long time.

I saw this film at the Cannes Film Festival 2008 and I must say of the 20+ films that I saw this was the most beautiful and most moving. This by far is the best film that I have seen in a long time. It takes a level of mental maturity to get past the "eeww old people sex" and see the story for itself. The film is touching, honest and emotional. The director did an amazing job in conveying the raw emotion of the situation. The actress that plays Inge was phenomenal. I could not see anyone else in that role. She was not playing a role but actually being. I highly recommend this film to anyone that enjoys true, honest, emotional and full films. If you like the light fluffy films this isn't for you. This is a film that will stay with you for awhile. (heck I saw it almost a month ago and I'm still thinking about it).