Barefoot

Til Schweiger both directs and stars in this, which begins when Nick, whose life has fallen apart, crosses paths with Leila, who has escaped from a psychiatric clinic. Leila, played by Johanna Wokalek, has had no contact with the outside world for years; she wears no shoes, does not know how to behave in the street, and attaches herself to Nick as the first person she sees. The film uses the romantic comedy template while trying not to turn the relationship into a rescue. Nick is in no position to save anyone, and the humour comes from two incapable people trying to manage each other. Schweiger's habits as a director are visible: emotional scenes underscored with music, the tone pulled continually toward sweetness, difficult material smoothed over. The treatment of mental illness is consequently too easy in places. It found a wide audience in Germany and was remade in America in 2014. Who it is for: viewers who like German romantic comedy and light-toned storytelling. Who it is not for: anyone uncomfortable with mental health turned into romantic material.