Regular Guys (1996)

Truly Dreadful Film

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

"Echte Kerle" or "Regular Guys" is a 95-minute live action movie from 1996, so this one has its 20th anniversary this year. It is a German-language film, even if it says "Ruassian language" here on IMDb. The director and one of the two writers is Rolf Silber and it is certainly his most known work. This can also be said about pretty much the entire cast here, including supporting actor Tim Bergmann, who (for whatever reason) managed a German Film Award nomination for his work here. But he was really generic and stereotypical and certainly a bad choice to recognize this way. No surprise he has not received other nominations in his career. If anybody from the cast was somewhat above-average here, then it was lead actor Christoph M. Ohrt. But even he shines only because the rest of the cast is really weak and the material from the writers is also not good, so not too difficult to elevated it.Almost the only reason why this film is still somewhat known today is because it is a gay-themed movie. These usually are seen a lot in terms of quantity and the awards recognition the film got boosted this even more. Admittedly, I have seen many gay-themed films that are way inferior to this one, especially short film, but this should not mean that this was a good watch here. The 7.x rating it has here on IMDb is way too high. The story is absurd and unrealistic for the part, the performances are neither bold nor memorable and the writing overall feels generally very much uninspired. It was virtually impossible to care for any of the characters because what they did made rarely sense at all in terms of authenticity. The hammy approach or approach void of talent (in terms of Bergmann's case) makes it even pretty cringeworthy at times. But hey, it shows that you can be void of talent and still be nominated at the German Film Awards. Should give hope to all the struggling German actors out there. This "comedy" (the " because it's never really funny) film is all about relationship struggles, but I must say I never felt for the characters or cared for who gets together with whom. And the final plot twist is not helping things either, let alone the ridiculous idea that Ohrt's character possibly discovers his homosexuality from one day to the next. It is just never forking for a whole bunch of reasons and the script is all showy and hammy and offers almost zero substance. If you consider watching this film, then maybe you have seen already Sönke Wortmann's "Der bewegte Mann" from two years earlier and this one here feels like a cheap copy that went pretty wrong. I highly not recommend the watch and 4 out of 10 is still pretty generous.

Christoph M. Ohrt (who resembles a very young Richard Johnson) is outstanding in the lead role of a rather insensitive cop who suddenly finds his entire ego eroding when his girlfriend dumps him for a bodybuilder. This confused state of affairs is precipitated by his classic "god was I drunk last night" syndrome stemming from the fact that he wakes up one morning in bed and in the arms of a bigger and younger man who quite honesty declares he's in love with him! It is truly priceless to watch Ohrt's character deal with this...as he retreats into himself and gradually changes his nature...his only way of attempting to understand this forces him to be more observant and tolerant of others as he comes to learn more about himself. It's a painful and even a humorous situation which compromises him more than once, and in its unfolding imparts a great deal of joy and pleasure (entertainment!) to viewers. This comedic gem should not be overlooked. And hopefully, we will see much more of the delightful Mr. Orht in future.

ECHTE KERLE or REGULAR GUYS is a polished little 1996 comedy from Germany that manages to tell a tale of mixing genders and satisfy all viewers no matter their viewpoint. Rarely has a film handled straight/gay juxtapositions with such an unbiased, honest and relaxed vantage. So often these gender bender films have the look of mini-budget movies, but this film as directed by Rolf Silber based on a screenplay by Silber and Rudolf Bergmann is photographed with panache by Jürgen Herrmann is slickly creative and wholly professional.Christoph Schwenk (Christoph Ohrt) is a plainclothesman police officer who does stakeouts spying on criminals with his partners Mike (Oliver Stokowski) and Helen (Carin Tietze). As the film opens Christoph is thrown out of his place by his 'ignored' girlfriend who has replaced him with a bodybuilder lover. Dismayed and angry, Christoph begins to drink, loses his car keys, his belongings on the street, and ends up with no place to stay as he stumbles into a gay bar where he passes out completely drunk. When he awakens he discovers he is in the arms of Edgar, a handsome auto mechanic who rehabs cars (?stolen?) and the question arises as to whether the two had sex during the night. Edgar is a kind and gentle man who evades this question, obviously feeling an attraction to Christoph. Edgar clothes Christoph so that he can find a place to stay and make it to work at the current stake out which just happens to be spying on car thieves.At work Mike and Helen notice something different in the paranoid Christoph who is more interested in finding an apartment and resolving his question of the previous night's sexual occurrences than he is with work. Unable to find any kind of hotel or apartment at all, he sleeps in his car until he eventually has the nerve to accept Edgar's offer for him to move in with him. Christoph makes it clear that is his Straight and Edgar makes it equally clear that he is Gay and likes Christoph.The relationship between Christoph and Edgar gradually strengthens, the threat of sexuality weakens to the point that as Christoph is seen in public with Edgar and when razed at work, Christoph sides with the idea of appearing gay and has a wonderful locker room confrontation with his fellow cops that says a lot about the barriers between gays and straights! Slowly, as Christoph settles into his new living conditions, he becomes enamored with Helen who is more than ready to pursue Christoph as she notices his 'machoisms' dwindle. At the same time Edgar's weekend lover Marco (Andreas Pietschmann) causes Christoph to query his surprising 'jealousy'. The three police become friendly with Edgar and Marco and when it seems they may be involved in the car theft ring under stakeout, they each find it easier to turn the other cheek and support each other.The ending pairs off the various members of this story in a warm and funny way, a manner which some may find predictable, but still satisfying and allowing all barriers to be down.The cast is uniformly excellent - the cameo supporting roles are very well done - and for once a film about straight perceptions of gay life makes ALL of the characters non-stereotyped: the men are all handsome hunks and the women are all beauties. This is light entertainment, a comedy with a message well stated.

I think that "Echte Kerle" is an excelent movie. It really impressed me. It also remind me that there are still true feelings in our global society. I especially admire Tim Bergmann (Edgar), he`s a great actor. I know one thing - after seeing this film my life will never be the same.