The Light

Tom Tykwer's latest film, Das Licht, is a visually arresting and symbolically charged meditation on modern disconnection and the elusive (Tykwer's special) quest to "put things back in their places." From the opening moments, the film's persistent rain sets a somber tone, serving as an external expression of the characters' inner turmoil-a constant reminder of the fluid boundaries between the living, the dead, and the imaginary.

At its core, Das Licht is a portrait of a fractured modern family. The father, a balding, semiretired hippie whose youthful heyday should have been in the vibrant 90s Berlin, now finds himself entrenched in the political white/greenwashing business. His exposed bald spot is not merely a physical trait; it symbolizes the void where once vibrant, left-wing ideals once resided - leaving behind only cynicism and dirty old habits. The mother, on the other hand, channels state funds into totally corrupted neocolonial business of building theaters in Africa. Meanwhile, the children are lost in a world of techno-drug-club parties or VR gaming, communicating rarely and without any real connection or understanding. In a particularly jarring intro subplot, the family's Polish housemaid dies on duty - her identity lost in the total indifference from employing family - only to be replaced by a Syrian woman. (I wonder, whether her death or death of the delivery guy reflect any of Tykwer's personal attitude towards them?) While this transition was probably meant to comment on shifting immigration demographics, it ends up feeling like a superficial, even clichéd, nod to trends that have long since passed their prime.

The film's second act shifts gears into a broader, more introspective quest for order and self-discovery. Here, the attempt to "fix reality" becomes a metaphor for the family's search for identity-an effort that is as much about reconciling with the past as it is about constructing an ideal yet-to-be-known world. One of the film's most ideologically explicit moments comes when a daughter confronts her parents with a scathing litany of their personal sins-a raw, unabashed moment of revisionism that is quintessentially German in its exploration of history and mistrust to previous generations.

Technically, Das Licht shines in many respects. The cinematography is a step forward from Tykwer's celebrated Lola rennt, capturing claustrophobic spaces and shifting perspectives with a meticulous, almost hyperreal precision. The film's choreography, whether in the dynamic interplay of staged sequences reminiscent of a carnival, ballet, or opera, or in the visceral, shaking imagery, serves to constantly remind us that we are witnessing an enactment on a grand, metaphorical stage rather than a slice of everyday reality.

Yet, the film is not without its flaws. Clocking in at nearly three hours, its runtime is at times burdensome; there are moments when the pacing lulls, and one might even find their attention drifting.

A particular note of levity is provided by the character Dio-a precocious boy who, with his persistent renditions of "Bohemian Rhapsody," assumes an announcement of his almost divine role that is to be revealed at the very end.

Ultimately, while Das Licht is packed with intriguing ideas and technical brilliance, it falls short of surpassing Tykwer's masterpiece, Lola rennt, the comparison to which he's sentences for life. The bar was set incredibly high with his own personal status, the rarity of his movies and the media hype around this premier, and although this film is an ambitious exploration of modern detachment, crisis of family, society and personality and the struggle to regain a sense of order, it never quite achieves the metaphysical narrative and emotional resonance that defined his earlier work. Tykwer's vision is expansive and thought-provoking, but here it remains a fascinating, if imperfect, experiment in capturing the fragmented nature of contemporary existence.

In his latest film - described by Tykwer himself as "the big sister of "Run Lola Run"", his most successful work to date - he delves into a wide range of issues facing modern German society, all woven into the lives of a four-member family in Berlin.

The cracks in their relationships are evident: the love between husband and wife has long faded, the mother is on the brink of burnout due to her job, the daughter struggles with drug addiction, and the son suffers from social isolation. Their stagnant lives take an unexpected turn when a Syrian housekeeper joins their household.

Tykwer masterfully blends heavy subject matter with a dynamic mix of comedy and drama, making you laugh in one moment and reflect deeply in the next. He steers clear of clichés, presenting five richly human characters alongside well-crafted minor roles. This is all enhanced by atmospheric cinematography, strong performances - particularly from Lars Eidinger and Nicolette Krebitz - and a fitting score, composed by Tykwer himself in collaboration with Johnny Klimek.

Despite its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, "The Light" keeps audiences engaged with its intense scenes and unexpected stylistic detours into genres like animation and even musical.

In short, if you're looking for an artistically executed portrayal of contemporary issues in Germany, "The Light" is well worth your time.

The characters felt shallow and unconvincing to me. Tim, played by Lars Eidinger, is an ego-driven father who parades around his Charlottenburg apartment in the nude, blind to the death of the family's housekeeper lying just meters away. His daughter Frieda is a caricature of Gen Z activism-climate protests by day, drug-fueled clubbing by night-while his son Jon retreats into an escapist VR world. These archetypes seem designed to tick boxes rather than create relatable human beings. Even Milena, played by Nicolette Krebitz with some depth, is saddled with clichéd dialogue and an implausible storyline involving her work in Nairobi.

Stylistically, the film is all over the place. Musical numbers erupt randomly, including Nicolette Krebitz dancing on Mommsenstraße in a sequence that feels more like a parody than a genuine artistic choice. VR gaming scenes are visually impressive but narratively hollow. At one point, animation takes over with superhero aesthetics that feel completely out of sync with the rest of the film. And then there's the recurring use of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, which is shoehorned into the movie so awkwardly that it left me cringing.

The central plot device-a stroboscopic light that allows characters to connect with the dead-could have been intriguing but instead felt like a forced metaphor for spiritual healing. Farrah, the Syrian refugee turned housekeeper and mystical savior, embodies problematic tropes: she exists solely to heal the privileged Northern family while her own struggles are sidelined. The film's attempt at social commentary comes across as tone-deaf and self-congratulatory rather than insightful.

The permanent rain in every exterior shot, which rarely looks real, just gets annoying at some point, especially when the sun is shining in the background.

Ultimately, Das Licht left me frustrated and disappointed. It's not just that it fails to deliver on its ambitious themes-it's that it seems oblivious to its own shortcomings. Tykwer indulges in stylistic excesses and narrative pretensions without anyone stepping in to say "stop." The result is a film that feels bloated and self-important, more concerned with appearing profound than actually being so. For all its visual flair and thematic ambition, Das Licht is a cautionary tale about what happens when creative hubris goes unchecked.

No pun intended - the movie is a mixed bag of things. And it is quite hard to describe ... you will have 2.5 hours to figure things out. Tom Tykwer is really a good filmmaker to say the least ... he is doing something different with this one I'd say. He's trying to combine drama with fantastical elements ... there is so much here (social drama, society, but also family issues) ... that it almost feels like there is too much ... and then not enough of certain things.

The actors are a revelation, if you did not know them before (or some/one of them). The works towards a twist ... that we get at the end ... and the question is: does it work for you? I feel like it is a bit too much ... and while we get Queen to accompany it (sound wise) ... I still feel like it goes a bit too far. But then again, I and many others might not be even talking about this.

Some things are left unsaid - and fate has a role to play. But also how characters react ... to each other but also to their own shortcomings. The drama part works ... there is a lot to gain, a lot to discuss and to decipher even. Will you be seeing things in a ... different light after watching the movie? And is this a final pun that is satisfying? Well you decide ...

Tom Tykwer returns to the big screen after years of absence. A great German director who gave us "Rennt Lola rennt" one the best German movies of the new age and worked closely with the Wachoski's to direct "Cloud Atlas". While Cloud Atlas was initially met with mixed reviews, time has been kind to it, and it has since found a devoted audience, including myself.

*** In Das Licht, Tykwer ambitiously tackles multiple themes and cinematic styles, condensing them into a two-hour-and-forty-minute runtime. The film presents moments of brilliance, addressing issues that resonate not only with contemporary German families but with Western society as a whole-migration, abortion, drug use, dissatisfaction, estrangement, missed opportunities, and the paradox of wannabe rebels and saviors. However, while the satirical tone is evident throughout, it sometimes loses its sharpness, occasionally veering into cliché.

*** The film's biggest flaw is its climax. The momentum builds, but the final moments leave a lingering sense of disappointment-something I could feel in the audience around me. Whether intentional or not, the ending struggles to fully deliver on the expectations set by the preceding narrative.

That said, German cinema needs bold voices like Tykwer's, and Das Licht is a film worth experiencing. Despite falling short of my initial hopes, its rich themes ensure that most viewers will find something that resonates with them. It may not be a perfect film, but it's certainly one that sparks thought and discussion.