Oh Boy

In select theaters
March 1^st 2014

83 minutes

German
English

Germany

Jan Ole Gerster's wry and vibrant feature debut Oh Boy, which swept the 2013 German Oscar Awards, paints a day in the life of Niko, a twenty-something college dropout going nowhere fast. Niko lives for the moment as he drifts through the streets of Berlin, curiously observing everyone around him and oblivious to his growing status as an outsider. Then on one fateful day, through a series of absurdly amusing encounters, everything changes: his girlfriend rebuffs him, his father cuts off his allowance, and a strange psychiatrist dubiously confirms his 'emotional imbalance'. Meanwhile, a former classmate insists she bears no hard feelings toward him for his grade-school taunts when she was “Roly Poly Julia,” but it becomes increasingly apparent that she has unfinished business with him. Unable to ignore the consequences of his passivity any longer, Niko finally concludes that he has to engage with life. Shot in timeless black and white and enriched with a snappy jazz soundtrack, this slacker dramedy is a love letter to Berlin and the Generation Y experience.

starring...

Tom Schilling

Niko Fischer

Friederike Kempter

Julika Hoffmann

Katharina Schüttler

Elli

Marc Hosemann

Matze

Karl Speckenbach

Justus von Dohnányi

Friedrich

Michael Gwisdek

Walter Fischer

Ulrich Noethen

Director

Jan Ole Gerster

Screenplay

Jan Ole Gerster

Cinematography

Philipp Kirsamer

Editing

Anja Siemens

Production Designer

Juliane Friedrich

Music

The Major Minors, Cherilyn Macneil

Producers

Marcos Kantis, Alexander Wadouh

Costume Designer

Juliane Maier, Ildiko Okolicsanyi

56% on the CINEMETER

BOCA

34% - Dec 8, 2013

I don't usually enjoy road movies but this had fascinating characters along the way.
Boca Raton Member

Moving and wonderful character study and more.
Boca Raton Member

Very well done. Depressing but moving.
Boca Raton Member

Meticulously constructed with real feelings and angst... The black & white technique added to the overall effect of detachment.
Boca Raton Member

The musical score was a highlight!
Boca Raton Member

A sad story but an interesting slice of life in Berlin, reflecting the past history and its effects/import on the present day.
Boca Raton Member

Brilliant! thought-provoking
Boca Raton Member

ATL

Nov 24, 2013

Nov 17, 2013

BOS

Nov 17, 2013

66% - Nov 17, 2013

I really kind of loved this movie! Coffee as a metaphor, it doesn't get much better than that. The tension between the trivial and profound - a bicycle and a national identity, a young breakup and old generational wounds - was perfect. Really wonderful!
Washington, DC Member

Felt like a masterfully composed musical. The generational transition was subtly and thoughtfully done; in the young man's life, in the city and in Germany. Sweet, gentle, but tough coming of age film.
Washington, DC Member

Wow. The best kind of melancholy. Impressive how a film can be so rooted in place (Berlin) and so universal. Gorgeously photographed, a rare movie with both a light touch and a heavy tone. Schoen! Totally real - absolutely wonderful.
Washington, DC Member

STL

68% - Jan 5, 2014

Loved it. Thought the acting was great, can't wait to see what Tom Schilling does next. Felt like it really hi on how it can feelto not know what to do with your life. Wish I knew what happened next. I'm glad he finally got his cup of coffee. Thank you.
St. Louis Member

Loved the cinematography, good music. Very sneaky -- when the movie first ended, I thought it was lacking in substance, but upon reflection and after our discussion, there was so much in it.
St. Louis Member

Truly superb. Excellent use of black and white, puts you in the head of a slacker. Clarity always just beyond Nicko's reach.
St. Louis Member

Nov 17, 2013

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