PLOT: Three young German idealists see themselves as serious political rebels, but things change when a fairly innocent gesture of anti-capitalism goes awry. This is engaging and surprising.
Nothing goes where you expect it to in the political drama, The Edukators. Maybe that's the key to how a movie about idealism keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The Edukators opens with a sequence that involves a palatial house and a wealthy family returning home from a trip. The innocent chit-chat of mom, dad and the kids turns to shock and dismay when the family realizes the house has been vandalized. Nothing is gone -- just piled up in the centre of one room.
And here's a note on the pile of possessions which reads, "Your days of plenty are numbered."
That's the work of a subversive but peaceful group that calls itself The Edukators, a group hoping to address the global financial inequities of capitalism. The "group" turns out to be just two idealistic guys, Jan (Daniel Bruhl) and Peter (Stipe Erceg).
And here is Peter's girlfriend Jule (Julia Jentsch), first seen protesting sweatshops outside a shoe store. Jule moves in with Peter and Jan; she doesn't want the guys to find out that a stupid car accident (and no insurance) has left her mired in debt. She owes a fortune -- literally -- to the rich man whose car she destroyed.
Once Jule finds out about Peter and Jan's late-night expeditions against the rich, she suggests a strike against the man to whom she owes money.
The venture goes wrong and turns into a kidnapping. The three friends take their middle-aged captive to the mountains to hide out and decide on the next move. The trio of inept activists and their victim begin to talk and get to know each other.
If only that pervading sense of betrayal would dissipate ...
The Edukators keeps changing course and dodging expectations -- always a pleasant turn of events at the movies. In some ways the film is a long conversaton about the nature of political activism, with points made about the lack of a revolutionary spirit among the young, about the failure of the '60s generation, about the corruption of corporations. That sounds all very grey and serious, but the film is often amusing and sexy and generally entertaining. Just to head off any misunderstandings, we're reviewing the movie here, not the politics.
Thank you.
The Edukators is in German, with English subtitles.
BOTTOM LINE: The political stuff wears thin after a while and the movie is too long, but it's still far more interesting than most of what's out there.
(This film is rated 14-A)
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