All About Me

Hans-Peter grows up in a working class district of 1970s Germany and has made a job of making his family laugh. His mother is in a deep depression and the boy believes cheering her up is his responsibility. The film is about how heavy that belief is, and how comedy becomes a defence. The source is the memoir of Hape Kerkeling, one of Germany's best known comedians, about his own childhood. Caroline Link directs it from the child's point of view, so the things the adults are not saying reach the audience in half sentences too. Julius Weckauf carries the entire film as the boy. It was a considerable hit in Germany and Link was named best director at the Bavarian Film Awards. Its flaws: the period is drawn too warmly, several supporting characters run on one trait, and the ending lands exactly where you expect. Who it is for: viewers who want family drama and humour together. Who it is not for: anyone expecting the subject handled harshly.