“Around 50” life has become a bit boring in the ZDF Monday film.
When the miniseries “Around 30” ran in 1995, the actors were actually around 30 – so now, 26 years later, they can actually only be “Around 50” if you consider 60 to be the new 50. But despite this little cheating, the idea has its charm, which when we see “Um die 30” (the series is from today in the ZDFmediathek) so unusual and therefore amazingly young-looking Bruno Eyron, Catherine Flemming, Dominic Raacke, Susanne Schäfer, Jürgen Calling Tarrach and Natalia Wörner together again for a length of film to show what has become of them and their lifelong dreams.
Raacke and Ralf Huettner wrote the script again, and Huettner directed. So that the former clique meet again, Carola’s (Susanne Schäfer) 50th birthday has to serve. So it sounds darn familiar how everyone scurries back and forth and the birthday child is rather stressed. Carola is horrified that Carlo (Jürgen Tarrach) even invited his dentist. He’s an important customer, says Carlo, whose wine trade doesn’t seem to be doing very well. Because when the landlord comes, he prefers to lie under the collapsed tent and hide.
Huettner and Raacke don’t make a scene like this a joke. Just like a lot is told in such a way that it can be understood without “Around 30”, but is still told almost casually. The smart Olaf (Bruno Eyron) now has a demented mother who should finally hand over the house to him, and a much younger friend who is not really of any help to him with his problems. He sits and howls and you almost feel sorry for him. Sabrina (Catherine Flemming) has found a little peace of mind with a partner, Jule Böwe plays Ellen as a pragmatist with a sure instinct.
Car salesman Frank (Raacke) and Tina (Natalia Wörner) arriving from Paris remain – but Frank is now with Henriette (Henny Reents). It still crackles between the former, it seems to have gotten a bit boring with Henriette. And then there is also her teenage son, with whom stepdad Frank still has to pull himself together.
It all works out quite well: the longing looking back and then adding to the situation; the attempt to break out (cheating) that fizzles out as an affair; the money worries and the feeling that you took a wrong turn somewhere, maybe back then when you were around 30. In general, life is pretty predictable and therefore a little boring. Would you like to see another series about it? Or is 90 minutes not exactly the right amount for this?
“Around 50”, ZDF, 8:15 pm.
