The diagnosis that all Germans are born without a sense of humour seems a tad unfair on the evidence of this, the countrys all-time box-office übersmash. Farce and social observation melt gently together to create a fizzy comedy of sexual confusion, in which a cute waiter-cum-photographers hormonal appeal has both women and men drooling.
Axel (Schweiger), the dumb hunk in question, is rendered homeless when girlfriend Doro (Riemann) catches him servicing a customer in the little girls room at the club where they work. He ends up crashing at an apartment inhabited by kind-hearted, put-upon homosexual Norbert (Krol), whose queeny pals come over quite amorous. All manner of misunderstandings ensue, especially once the newly pregnant Doro finds Norbert unrobed in the wardrobe.
Though the straight/gay nestling-up idea is no groundbreaker on the originality front (Boys On The Side, Threesome) and this is conservative in its conclusions, the screenplay deftly teases out hetero hypocrisies, gay crises of confidence and feminine frustrations without stalling the increasingly frantic carryings-on as the whole cast inconveniently converges on Norberts abode. Particularly at the expense of Norberts slobby, butch butcher lover and a pseudy mens group where conversation spins on such subjects as the libidinous significance of the sausage.
Capped by endearing performances all round, this is a very funny movie which should ring recognition bells with under-35s of every romantic persuasion.