What a waste of my time!!!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The story isn't well explained. Why exactly do these gangsters for her boyfriend to give them the $100,000? There's no real explanation. Nor is there an explanation why he didn't tell Lola sooner. There are two ways this movie could have gone, story wise, but it didn't go in either direction: 1. The whole movie could have been told in a single point of view without being divided up by three possibilities with the point of view being, of course, Lola's. This way it would be less predictable by the second or third act of the movie. 2. Another possibility is if the writers go with the multiple scenarios, but not just through Lola's eyes. For example: The first act could work just fine as it is, but the second act could focus on what her boyfriend is doing the whole time Lola is running to him when she isn't on camera. Then a third point of view could be what her parents are going through at the same second the first and second acts of the film take place. This way, it won't repeat the same thing almost exactly the same way. A much better movie that deals with different possibilities like this is Rashomon. In that one, it's the same story told from different characters. No necessarily repeating the same story with a slightly different ending.

I had the opportunity to see this movie at an film festival a few years ago. I had seen it before but HOLY GOD when this movie takes off it REALLY takes off. It is the point at which a soccer ball is kicked into the air where you know you are dealing with a unique movie. Unique then at least since one could say directors have been picking bits off of it since it came out.I will not summarize the plot because, much like 2001: A Space Odyssey (to which it shares not a single similarity except for a heavy use of music) the plot isn't the point. The exposition is out in less than five minutes and it is this.. There is a chick named Lola, and she has to get somewhere... in 20 minutes! The movie is an hour and a half so something has to be fishy here."So what you are telling me Cory... is that you are giving a 9 rating to a movie where you watch a girl run... run A LOT?" to which I say "Hell Yeah! She also screams as a superpower!" I've gotten so used to this movie I usually don't use the English Dub because.. well it's awful but subtitles are worse when you're legally blind.I could write paragraphs just on the influence of this movie on how we see cinema these days. Try watching Tron: Legacy after seeing this and tell me there's no connection. I could write those paragraphs but I'm not going to because talking about a movie's "Influence" brings thoughts of tedium and "Required Watching" that can be the death of an enjoyable movie. Whatever this movie is it is not boring.My mom described her first viewing of this movie with this eloquent and rather succinct statement: "I started the movie and then it was over and I felt like I had been drinking well that night." Just to be clear... dead sober! So this is an interesting time, influential or not!If you find yourself in need of an hour to an hour and a half of entertainment and you have this one around watch it. Please God don't watch this on your phone though, The bigger the screen the better. Also beware, a hypnotic effect may occur but that's perfectly normal as is a fair bit of Deja Vu.

Run Lola Run is the best use of style over substance that I have seen in at least 20 years. It's a stylish epic told at a manic pace, and director Tom Tykwer masterfully controls the tone of all of its myriad different sequences. It careens chaotically through choices and the paths of numerous people's lives, going so fast at many times that the audience is barely even able to keep up. Oftentimes it is unclear why the choices that have been made affect others' lives so deeply, but still this doesn't matter. What this film is is a frenzy of lavish camera moves, superb use of tension and recurring motifs, strange twists, feverish philosophy, and just the right amount of quiet, still scenes to keep the audience from growing fatigued (Neveldine & Taylor could learn something). While many have dubbed it a "no-brainer", I would argue that this film goes deeper than that, though by how much I can't be quite sure. It is incredibly fast, but also grounded by fleshed out characters, a complex web of narratives, and excellent performances all around. It's opening sequence and the narration over it give hints of some vague philosophical undertones, regarding the hustle and bustle of nameless persons and the strangers whose lives you affect in ways which you cannot begin to imagine. And with its interesting narrative structure (which would be a spoiler if I elaborated on it, but trust me, it's very interesting) leaves some contemplation; how much of the film was real? Was it all real? Is multiverse theory real in this universe? (Okay, now I'm right up against it, so I'll stop) I'm not sure if even Tykwer knows the answers to these questions, but the fact remains that this is a superbly directed, ridiculously fun and idiosyncratic film. While it is very similar in themes to the 1987 Polish film blind chance, it is the style that manages to give Run Lola Run an entirely original, gleefully fresh feel. While I fear that this may be Tom Tykwer's magnum opus even at the age of only 50, this is a spectacular, whirlwind, layered, and passionate legacy to leave.

Lola (Franka Potente) receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manni. When she fails to show up to pick him up, he had to take the subway. He leaves behind 100k DM in a bag on the train when the cops show up. A vagrant picks it up. Manni has only 20 minutes before bad guy Ronnie expects the money. Manni has the idea to rob a store but Lola begs him to wait. Lola goes on a run to get the money first from her father. It doesn't turn out well. The story restarts and she goes on a second run to her father. Then she goes on a third.The premise is interesting but problematic. It has the cleverness of Groundhog Day but I don't like the third run. There are changes in the third run that doesn't make sense. Why couldn't she get to her father when she got to him the first two times? Why would the vagrant run into the bike rider? The vagrant is at the wrong place. The changes don't seem to be valid. I do like the kinetic energy of the movie. I like the visual style. I also like how the people's futures are revealed like fun little vignettes. Also Franka Potente has a great star quality. She is able to sell this premise.