Not all desires are as friendly as the bottle spirit in Disney's “Aladdin”. The title -giving Djinn in the horror series “Wishmaster” initiated by Wes Craven, for example, intentionally misunderstands every wish so that the wishers end up in the most gruesome. But does it really need a demonic entity to pervert the requested? Aren't the deeply hidden wishes of most people bad enough anyway that a potentially world -destructive catastrophe would be like if they actually come true unfiltered?
In the middle of “The Life of Wishes” this question is briefly negotiated in a very bitterly black-humor. The previously soft-kissed wish-to-Was series even seems to be briefly overturned in the direction of a pointed-bös-like variant of the exhausted death scenarios of the “Final Destination” films. But at least this wish does not come true. In his debut “Cleo” we compared Erik Schmitt with Michel Gondry (“Don't forget my”) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet (“The Fabulous World of Amélie”). But this time he remains consistently adhering to the calendar-made surface with his bumpy-constructed fantasy tragedy
So the hair of Felix (Matthias Schweighöfer) looks like after he wanted a perfect life.
Felix Niemann (Matthias Schweighöfer) hates his job in the analysis department of the Amazon-on-Steroid mega company Oasis; He hates his showered hair; He hates that his wife Bianca (Luise Heyer) will soon break up an eleven-week excursion to scorpion research into the desert and let him alone with the two children; And he hates that “nobody” stands every time on his mug when buying coffee every time, no matter how often he also corrects the narrow-gauge baristi.
When his asshole boss Gideon (Benno Fürmann) then throws him out in order to be able to set the human-shine Jill (Ruby O. Fee) instead, which increases productivity by 0.2 percent with caffeine water dispensers, Felix is finally at the end. Or not? Because suddenly the advertising boards in the suspension railway to a Far East to a lucky charm corner, where a mysterious stranger (Henry Hübchen) offers him three wishes. But Felix is a smart guy – and so he only wants a single wish, namely that all of his wishes can be fulfilled …
Where did the colors have gone?
What is noticeable first are the colors, or the most extensive absence of the same. In his time travel debut film “Cleo”, Erik Schmitt still scored with inviting sun-drenched images and creative, handmade effects. “The life of wishes”, on the other hand, comes so softly and contrast that a lot of things only seem gray and lifeless. Now this may make sense in a capitalism dystopia with a border-depressive protagonist, but even Felix 'wish looks like someone had stabbed the pictures with a needle and let the colors drizzle out of them.
This is particularly a shame with the future metropolis itself. Because it works in the panoramic shots as if someone had merged the skylines of a German and American city in a spectacular model kit. A visit to the lucky charm shop would certainly have gave more fun with radiant colors. Elsewhere, the gray look is deceptive at least a bit across the well-known restrictions: the Oasis headquarters acts less like a futuristic Google campus, but rather like a crazy congress center with a few tables on the corridors.
Henry Hübchen noticeably fun in his role as a nameless Ramschladen-Mephisto.
The film adaptation does not occur as much in the philosophical substructure of the desired dilemma as The underlying novel*. Instead, there is criticism of capitalism, which, however, ends with the tackled realization that negative fear sells more than positive demands. The problem is not even the lack of depth, but that the remaining, strongly modified plot seems narrative bumpy and tonally inconsistent – as if scenes had been simply left out again and again in between.
This becomes particularly clear among the two completely underdeveloped women: in particular Paula (Verena Altenberger), a patent single mother and successful concert musician, who fills the Philharmonie as a Theremin soloist, apparently falls in love because Felix repairs a light bulb during a school theater performance. Really? Or is it possibly because of the hair that quickly shines again in the blond shine after the attacking half -bald? (The blonde long-haired wig in Felix 'butter advertising perfection world is one of the best gags in the film.)
Almost still got the curve
It only becomes exciting if it seems for a short time as if the first hour was actually only there to weigh the audience into a deceptive security – and instead to suddenly go where it really hurts: Because Felix's secret desire is not as harmless: he not only wishes his part -time, but also his own wife. Not after careful consideration, but almost like a reflex. Nevertheless, Felix has to act before his wish-“Final Destination” style-is fulfilled.
Almost like in a horror film in which one's own subconscious turns out to be the true monster. But breath cake: In contrast to the template, where Felix 'wishes can actually have fatal consequences – all the somewhat nasty (and actually exciting) pages are quickly wiped back to the side. Instead of enduring ambivalences, Felix becomes the typical Schweighöfer hero, which the women are at feet because he is in their garden – compared to “Pee Wees Misery” or just “The prank! April!” Not even particularly spectacular-Rue-Goldberg machines.
Conclusion: A brilliant idea in a sea made of color-talented calendar chasing kitsch.
We saw “The Life of Wishes” at the Hamburg Film Festival 2025.