Summer Storm (2004 film)
Summer Storm | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Marco Kreuzpaintner |
Written by | Thomas Bahmann Marco Kreuzpaintner |
Produced by | Jakob Claussen |
Starring | Robert Stadlober Kostja Ullmann Alicja Bachleda-Curuś Miriam Morgenstern |
Cinematography | Daniel Gottschalk |
Edited by | Hansjörg Weißbrich |
Music by | Niki Reiser |
Distributed by | X Verleih AG |
Release date |
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Running time | 98 minutes[1] |
Country | Germany |
Language | German |
Budget | €2.7 million ($3.5 million) |
Box office | $2,085,166[2] |
Summer Storm (German: Sommersturm) is a 2004 German coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner, starring Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullmann, Alicja Bachleda-Curuś, and Miriam Morgenstern. The story is set to the background of a rowing regatta, which climaxes into a summer storm.
Plot[]
Teams from all across Germany descend on a quiet camping ground for a week of training leading up to a final rowing competition. The plot follows the members of the RSC rowing club from southern Germany as they train for the regatta.
The boys are excited by the prospects of camping with a female rowing team from Berlin. However, by a stroke of fate, the Berlin girls' team cancels and is replaced by Queerschlag ("Queerstrokes"), a gay youth rowing team, and these boys are out, proud, and vocal about it.
Amidst the occasionally tense interactions between the members of his team and those of Queerschlag, Tobi is himself forced to confront his long-time feelings for his close friend and teammate Achim, who is already romantically involved with his girlfriend Sandra. Spurned by Achim, Tobi is devastated, but is partly consoled by his new friendship with Queerschlag member Leo.
The tension between the members of the two teams culminates in a scene set to the backdrop of a summer storm, during which Leo confronts Tobi about his homosexuality in front of his teammates. Tobi denies being gay, and, in an attempt to defend him, one of his teammates tells Tobi's girlfriend Anke to tell the rest of his teammates so. Anke, the only person to whom Tobi has confided his secret, remains silent.
Ultimately, Tobi comes out to his teammates and his rowing team, who seem to accept Tobi no matter what, and they go on to compete with Queerschlag in the final regatta.
Cast[]
- Robert Stadlober as Tobi
- Kostja Ullmann as Achim
- Alicja Bachleda-Curuś as Anke
- Miriam Morgenstern as Sandra
- Jürgen Tonkel as Hansi
- Tristano Casanova as Georg
- Marlon Kittel as Leo
- Hanno Koffler as Malte
- Ludwig Blochberger as Oli
- Alexa Maria Surholt as Susanne
- Joseph M'Barek as Ferdinand "Ferdi"
Critical reception[]
Summer Storm received mixed reviews, currently holding a 48% rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 31 reviews.[3] On Metacritic, the film has a 51/100 rating, signifying "mixed or average reviews".[4]
According to Dennis Harvey of Variety, the film have "…psychologically sharp writing and performances".[5]
Michael Wilmington of Chicago Tribune said that "Summer Storm is a contemporary teen summer romance with a modern sexual twist" and "believable characters".[6]
Steve Murray of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Summer Storm nicely captures the awkward confusion of first-time sexual encounters (gay or straight) and the collateral wounds caused by deceiving others and oneself".[7]
German website Kabeleins praised the film for being "beautifully produced" and actors as "very authentically played".[8]
London-based branch of Time Out wrote that "...the story's main strength lies in its characters..."[9]
TV Guide's Alexander Ryll called the film "An observant and sensitively played drama about adolescent sexuality, unrequited love and heartbreak",[10] while Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times said that "Kreuzpaintner displays a natural gift with actors and a clarity in storytelling that result in a fresh take on what otherwise might have been a familiar coming-of-age story."[10] Ella Taylor of LA Weekly also commented on the film, calling it "A lovely wallow in the sweaty pains and joys of mostly gay adolescent love".[10]
Accolades[]
- Summer Storm received the audience award of the Filmfest München 2004.[11]
- Director (Marco Kreuzpaintner), New Faces Award, Germany, 2005
- Best Young Actor – Film (Robert Stadlober)
Soundtrack[]
The soundtrack contains the smash hit "Willkommen" from the album Herz by the German duo Rosenstolz; the single made the German Top 10 charts in September 2004.
- "Blonde on Blonde" by Nada Surf
- "Shake the Foundation" by Radio 4
- "Willkommen" by Rosenstolz
- "Los, Wixen" by Niki Reiser
- "Auf ins Bergische" by Niki Reiser
- "We'll Never Know" by Roman Fischer
- "Maltes Kuss" by Niki Reiser
- "Flames" by VAST
- "Verwirrt" by Niki Reiser
- "Achim" by Niki Reiser
- "Getaway" by Roman Fischer
- "Jim's Theme" by Niki Reiser
- "Coming Out" by Niki Reiser
- "Catch Me" by
- "We Oh We" by The Hidden Cameras
- "Crooked Lines" by The Go-Betweens
- "For Lovers" by Wolfman/Pete Doherty
- "The Power of Love" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- "Sommersturm" by Niki Reiser
- "The Summer We Had" by
- "Go West" by Nova International
References[]
- ^ "SOMMERSTURM (15)". Peccadillo Pictures. British Board of Film Classification. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Summer Storm (2006)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Summer Storm (Sommersturm)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Summer Storm Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (29 September 2004). "Summer Storm". Variety.
- ^ Wilmington, Michael. "Movie review: 'Summer Storm'". Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
- ^ "'Summer Storm' captures awkward confusion of first-time lovers". Archived from the original on 24 February 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
- ^ "Sommersturm". Kabeleins (in German). Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
- ^ "Summer Storm". Time Out.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Alexander Ryll (2014). "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Summer Storm". Gay Essential. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ^ Blöchl, Bernhard (13 December 2008). "Lockruf vom anderen Ufer". Süddeutsche Zeitung. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
External links[]
- Official website (in English)
- Official website (in German)
- Summer Storm at IMDb
- Ruderverein QueerSchlag
- 2004 films
- German-language films
- 2004 romantic comedy-drama films
- 2000s coming-of-age comedy-drama films
- 2004 independent films
- 2004 LGBT-related films
- 2000s teen comedy-drama films
- 2000s teen romance films
- Coming-of-age romance films
- Films about sexual repression
- Films directed by Marco Kreuzpaintner
- Gay-related films
- German romantic comedy-drama films
- German coming-of-age comedy-drama films
- German films
- German independent films
- German LGBT-related films
- German sports comedy-drama films
- LGBT-related romantic comedy films
- LGBT-related comedy-drama films
- LGBT-related coming-of-age films
- LGBT-related sports films
- Rowing films
- 2000s sports comedy-drama films
- Films about summer camps
- Teen LGBT-related films
- Teen sports films
- LGBT-related romantic drama films