Die Reise mit Vater (2016) Reviews

• Freedom's a thing that has no ending

  howard.schumann2017-10-04

  In 1968, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Alexander Dubcek, ushered in a program of reforms that he called "Socialism with a human face." The new "Action Programme" allowed greater freedom of speech, press, and travel, limited the power of the secret police, and raised the possibility of democratic elections. The achievement of these goals, however, was thwarted by the invasion of half a million Soviet troops and tanks and an occupation that lasted eight months. It was a revolution that never happened. Based on her family history in Romania and Germany, director Anca Miruna Lazarescu's ("The Secret of Deva") That Trip We Took with Dad puts us right into the center of the dramatic events unfolding in Europe and does so with suspense and engaging humor. Caught in the middle are Mihai Reinholtz (Alexandru Margineanu, "California Dreamin") and his brother Emil portrayed by Razvan Enciu in a breakout performance. The family is traveling from Arad, Romania to bring their sick father William (Ovidiu Schumacher, "The Beheaded Rooster") to Dresden for an operation that is unavailable in Romania. The film begins in Arad where Mihai is a doctor who seems to have accepted life in Ceausescu's Romania and acts as a reluctant informant for the Securitate, Romania's repressive secret police. When his young brother Emil, an anti-Stalinist activist, becomes involved in an anti-Communist protest, however, Mihai provides a name to the authorities, but spares Emil whom he vigorously calls out and warns of the danger into which he is putting his family. Lazarescu depicts the family's journey to the GDR in their yellow Skoda with mordant wit. Emil plays the guitar and sings anti-Soviet songs, William yells at him never to sing the song again and berates Mihai for trying to prolong his life which he'd rather not. In Hungary Emil is surprised and happy that he is able to purchase Beatles and Rolling Stones albums, but sadly they are confiscated by East German border guards, though Emil tries to convince them that "Strawberry Fields Forever" is a hymn to collective agricultural production cooperatives. The humor does not last very long, however. Traveling in Germany, they meet up with Soviet tanks on the road heading towards Prague and are detained by the GDR authorities. Forced to stay in an East German holding camp where Russian, Czech, German, and Hungarian detainees are at each other's throats, Mihai tries to keep order until the groups are separated into different rooms. The Romanian detainees are thrilled to watch on TV as President Nicolai Ceausescu denounces the Soviet invasion, though they are unaware that his government would later become even more authoritarian and repressive than other Communist regimes. When Mihai meets Ulrike (Susanne Bormann, "Barbara") a German countess who pretends to be pregnant, Mihai is offered the opportunity to come to Munich with her where his father can get the operation he needs. With the Czech-German border closed, the only safe way to return is through West Germany, Austria, and Yugoslavia, bypassing the Russian-controlled countries and with the help of the Romanian Ambassador and some smuggled cognac, Mihai leaves with Ulrike. What Mihai finds in Munich is not what he expected, however. He moves into a commune with Ulrike that is filled with students vigorously vocalizing positions favorable to both East and West, some supporting Marx and Lenin and criticizing the West for the Vietnam War and the disparity between rich and poor, others blasting the Russians for their oppression of freedom in Prague. An idealist, Ulrike envisions a world where people can live together in peace and harmony, but her vision seems far away. When Emil and his dad finally show up, ideology takes a back seat to practical realities as William's condition takes a turn for the worse and Mihai and Emil are forced to weigh contradictory options to live in freedom or return home in spite of the obstacles. That Trip We Took with Dad is a thought-provoking film that brings us back to the days when freedom and human rights was still a dream for thousands of people living under Communism in Eastern Europe. It also brings into focus the fact that the fight against repression did not end with the dismantling of the Soviet Union. As blacklisted author Millard Lampell's Cantata "The Lonesome Train" tells us, "Freedom's a thing that has no ending. It needs to be cared for; it needs defending. A great long job for many hands, carrying freedom 'cross the land."

• A bearable road movie that struggles a bit with character writing

  Horst_In_Translation2017-06-02

  "Die Reise mit Vater" or "That Trip We Took with Dad" is a German/Romanian co-production from 2016, so still a fairly new and fresh film. The director is Anca Miruna Lazarescu and it is her first full feature non-documentary film after several short movies in more than the last decade. She is also among the writers who worked on the script here and the subject fits her very nicely as she moved from Romania to Germany as a child and well it is far from her first work that combines these two countries. The film is set almost half a century in the past as we follow the lives of a Romanian(/German) family and their attempt to leave Romania and move to the GDR. That's right. For once it is people trying to feel to and not from the GDR. But life in Romania back then wasn't fun obviously due to the political climate and the aftermath from World War II, which was still very much present back then slightly over two decades after the war. Sadly, the exact approach and execution here did not convince me at all. The historic context was not depicted convincingly apart from really baity references about characters being killed that lacked subtlety whatsoever. And the film certainly does not work from a comedy perspective, one of the genres it is described as here on IMDb. There were attempts at comedy, but not really successful ones sadly. And as a drama? Well.. it is not all bad from this perspective, but I do believe it is also not half as memorable as it could have been. The general idea wasn't a bad one, but what they made of it, also with the writing of the characters, just isn't working out. So if you take a look at the endless list of writers here, it is certainly accurate to call this one a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. I also believe that the film at over 110 minutes is a bit too long for its own good. Had they cut out some (i.e. many) of the lesser interesting parts and kept the film at 85-90 minutes, I may have given it a better rating and perhaps also a thumbs-up. But the way it turned out, I don't think there is any memorable value to it and I would definitely call it a missed opportunity in terms of both acting and writing. I am baffled by the high rating here on IMDb. Romania has produced a lot of greatness in the last years (e.g. Pozitia copilului). This one here does not fit the description. Watch something else instead.

• Yet another weak drama on Romanian communism

  puiu2018-09-23

  Very weak drama on communism in Romania, the difference from this endless Romanian cinema leitmotif being it is a road movie crossing international borders. Sad attempts at humour, sketchy characters and nothing memorable happening in this movie. Not recommended.

• excellent

  imdb-485382018-11-11

  I'm a romanian born during the communist era, this film's action is placed around the years I came to the world. So I've watched this film primarily for understanding my parent's life. Well, not only I know a bit more, but I've discovered a touching and very deeply sensitive author and film director. There are moments in the film I couldn't help it and had tears in the eyes. Then other moments where deep human relationships gave me hope. And she's already understanding the problems idealists can create. She has it all, as far as I can say.

• The trip of Romanian brothers accompanying their father for the surgery to Germany, got interrupted by the 1968 events in Prague.

  elena-596812017-10-11

  I loved the film. The historical context is not precise, but does not have to be, its just a tool to illustrate that despite the social situation people may carry the problems within themselves. The same political system may raise different type of people... Or like Emil says: " They have everything, but do not enjoy it, I want to be at home to enjoy all these things..." Great acting, great music, beautiful photography, the movie justifies and praises the life as it is with its comic and sad sides.