Regular Guys

Regular Guys

(1996)

Directed by: Rolf Silber
Writers: Rolf Silber, Rudolf Bergmann
Genre: Comedy



Synopsis:

Christoph, cop and self-confident macho, has trouble with his fiance. After a long night he wakes up in the arms of Edgar, a good-looking, gay auto-mechanic. His live gets more and more troublesome after his girl friend throws him out of their apartment and as last resort he moves to Edgars place. Working together with a new, good-looking, very self-confident, female collegue, but living with a good-looking gay guy makes him pretty uncertain about his sexuality and his role as a cop.



Cast:

Christoph M. Ohrt .... Christoph Schwenk
Carin C. Tietze ...... Helen
Tim Bergmann ...... Edgar
Oliver Stokowski ..... Mike
Rudolf Kowalski ...... Kallenbach
Dieter Brandecker .... Deichsel

Ina Weisse ...... Karin
Andreas Pietschmann .. Marco
Heinz-Werner Kraehkamp Mofafahrer (Motorbike Driver)
Edgar M. Bˆhlke ...... Himself
Antonio Putignano .... Pizzabote (Pizza Deliverer)
Martin Ankermann ..... Herr Tanner
Karina Marmann ...... Ursula
Philipp Seiser ...... Anton

Echte Kerle (Germany)
Runtime: 100 min
Country: Germany
Language: German
Color: Color (Eastmancolor)
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital


Despite being a sexist pig, the cop Chris Schwenk has likeable qualities -- it helps to be cute as well as off-balance, off-balance because he is bewildered to find himself living with a gay man (Edgar) with whom he may or may not have had drunken sex, and at the same time he's reluctantly drawn to a highly competent and attractive female colleague whom he resents and who (unnervingly) sees him for what he is and says so. Along the way there are varied opportunities for confusions and misunderstandings (it's a comedy, after all) that disconcert both the characters and the audience. No question Chris comes to be very fond of Edgar, for example, but the movie shrewdly makes it hard to tell how fond, and fond in what way -- and despite the fact that Edgar is somewhat mixed up in shady matters (is his garage really a chop-shop, as he jokingly claims? And what is a policeman to do about it?). All the principal characters are decidedly likeable, and even some of the minor ones such as Edgar's sophisticated and unflappable mother. The ending is a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one, and upon reflection shouldn't be that much of a surprise anyhow (there are clues and hints sprinkled around, beforehand). By the way, there's frontal nudity (male) and naked men in a bed (and a bathtub) together, and a scene where Chris and Helen (the cop) are, well, doing what cops do (copulate -- har), but only a serious prude would be offended by any of it. A minor film without doubt, but droll and touching and well made.