One life - I think most of us believe we only have one life to live. So how do we spend the time we have? It's only a finite amount we get. Do we look back on things we've done (wrong) or are we just trying to move forward? Do we cherish relationships and let them become something more or do we try to get back and make up with people we once loved? There are quite a few things you can read into this ... or just enjoy how the main character chooses to live.

But she also has her moments, where she reflects and tries to be different. I think many of us are in a struggle. Do we want to change, can we change? And would it matter to those who know us a certain way? Can we make up for how we treated other people or remedy our mistakes from the past? That might be reading a lot into the movie - and maybe you just want to enjoy it as a character piece ... it's up to you. It's fairly short which makes for quick view too.

The first thing you notice about this movie is the coldness of the characters. They lack any kind of emotional response at all. It seems something endemic in German films. Within this background we then see an estranged mother initiate her newly found teenage daughter into the world of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and sex. Furthermore, this so called, "mother" works during the day as a nurse and a binge drinking drop out by night. It's as if all the characters in this movie are bound up in some awful past trauma. Are the makers of the film trying to say, "We are Germans and this is what we are" ? This process continues and without any kind of resolution. There is nothing that brings this dire farce to any kind of conclusion. The coldness and lack of warmth in this film makes one want to scream! Ultimately it leads to a flat, boring, robotic film. A very poor example of a functional exercise in low budget film making and nothing else.

"Lotte" is a German movie from last year (2016) and this one was written and directed by Julius Schultheiß. It is his first full feature film until now and for that it is not bad, even if it has a tendency to stay too much above the surface and not really go into depth convincingly as much as I hoped it would. But maybe this also has something to do with the cast here as honestly the two actresses in the center of it do not really shine through great performances, more through great looks. I'd even say one looks a bit similar to Scarlett Johansson. For me this film was a bit more of particular interest because it is set in Berlin, the city I have lived always my entire life. And I must say the film also felt relatively authentic for the most part. Yes here and there there were moments that were a bit over the top, but in terms of dramatic exaggerations, it's all solid I guess. The bigger problem, at least for me, was really that the film never truly impressed me or felt like making a difference or telling a memorable story. I found it relatively difficult to care for the characters in the center of their actions and I am not talking about liking them here, just developing an interest in their lives. And while the film only runs for 75 minutes and this already includes credits, I did not really feel it was very much focused or essential and it could have been even shorter and I'd have been perfectly fine with it. Still, we need to keep in mind that it is the first work by the director and for that it was okay. It was certainly not a failure and experienced lead actress Karin Hanczewski also had a couple good moments. Cautious thumbs-down overall from me. Not recommended.