With “Schläfer” and “Der Räuber” Benjamin Heisenberg has staged two of the most fascinating German-language thriller dramas of the past around 20 years. The camera is often distant in these films, a cool observer. The story is minimalist, a lot is communicated non -verbally over gestures and, above all, looks. Already with his third feature film “Over-I and you”, the director also showed another side. The absurd-comic satire with grotesque inserts is much more playful-which not only underline the image design, but also the use of music. After a decade of cinema, in which Heisenberg wrote a novel, among other things, he drives this more expressive staging a bit – and not without reason.
Because “The Prank – April, April!“Has a completely different target audience than the previous works by Benjamin Heisenberg. It is a children's film. But who now fears that such a genre change in a director who has long been the so-called Berlin school was attributed, could be more brittle, can breathe a sigh of relief. The absolute opposite is the case. “The Prank” is a wonderfully dynamic large cityfathing, in which it is almost always ahead. The game with cinematic models and cinema clichés ensures humor and rapid action-both for the kids and adults.
At first glance, the supposed villains in “The Prank” seem very nice cliché gangsters.
The twelve -year -old Lucas (Noèl Gabriel Kipp) is annoyed. After all, he currently not only has the Chinese guest student Xi Zhou (Max Zheng) on the cheek, but also an important piano prelude in the afternoon. He is supposed to help his secret crush Charly (Maïmouna Rudolph – Mmbacké) to a scholarship and has a lot of shit to be careful and thus through it. But this April 1st quickly runs in a completely different way than expected. Because when XI discovered the concept of the April Fool'sz, he quickly plays a prank himself.
But a chain triggers a chain of unforeseen events that the young rapper Schaaf (Cedric Eich) should actually bring to a specific address at a certain time. Soon the two boys are not sitting at school as planned, but are on a breathless hunt through Berlin, in which a gang of gangster rappers, a sudden police duo and finally even the local mafia …
A breathless chain reaction
“The Prank” begins with a construction reminiscent of “Wallace & Gromit”, with which Lucas' father (Mehdi Nebbou) surprises his wife Maria (Laura Tonke): With the help of a mechanical chain reaction, breakfast should automatically land with her – and of course everything goes a little wrong, so that the coffee is on the plate and table instead of in the cup. This funny gimmick already takes the following film in advance: Because Xi's pizza cardboard replacement prank also triggers a chain of events, in which everything always goes a bit wrong-and so the SCHLABASSEL volte continues to pile up.
It seems a bit of effort how the events are kept in constant movement. But that hardly bothers. Because it is always fun – even thanks to the well -harmonizing two boys. In addition, Timon Schäppi (“4 Blocks”), which is also almost always on the move, gives the events a continuous dynamic. There is hardly any time to stand still and breathe in “The Prank”. With their adventure, which extends across Berlin, Lucas and XI keep coming to new places, only to find out shortly afterwards that they have to continue to the next.
XI and Lucas are constantly on the move – and not always on foot.
Benjamin Heisenberg and his co-author Peer Klehmet (“Five Friends”) consciously work with clichés. While the Donut's munching police in their clumsiness is more placed with the humores in the film, the trick behind the gangster rappers that Schaaf only sent to his delivery mission is significantly clever. Not only is it played here with prejudices, they are also broken cleverly.
In addition, Yasin El Harrouk (Aka Yonii), Patricia Pembele (aka die P) and Matthias Schulze (aka Silla), who come from the music scene, also make a lot of fun – especially in conjunction with scene thief Cedric Eich (“At some point we will tell ourselves everything”) than on the big breakthrough young rappers. Schaaf's first catchy tune also always serves as a successful musical accompaniment of the big city affairs.
Technology vs. Adventure: A plea for the real world
Although the technology – from self -driving Tesla to the cell phone as an important tool far beyond communication – plays a major role in “The Prank”, the good old cleverness and a sack of flour in the end bring victory. Together with the boys' foray by a Berlin kissed on a warm April day from summer, this can also be seen as a clear appeal to the children to break away from the smartphone screen. After all, there is a real world to discover and conquer.
The greatest strength of “Der Prank” is that this message is not blown up with the index finger who is often levied in the children's cinema. No, Heisenberg's children's film makes – young and old! – just so much fun that you want to experience your own adventure yourself. Or just explore the many known, but also the partially unknown corners of your own city.
Conclusion: “The prank – April, April!” is a fast -paced big city adventure that plays with clichés (and many of them skillfully breaks). Benjamin Heisenberg delivers a wild, dynamic hunting through Berlin with an consistently so high energy that it is hardly significant if some twisting seems a bit forced. The result is a creative and entertaining film with a lot of heart.