"Was tun, wenn's brennt?" or "What to Do in Case of Fire" is a German movie from 15 years ago that runs for slightly over 90 minutes without credits. The director is Gregor Schnitzler and the writer duo are Stefan Dähnert and Anne Wild. The movie scored some awards attention, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the German Film Awards for Martin Feifel. Unfortunately I must say I never felt this was a good watch. My main problem is probably the story. All the action from start to finish never feels realistic in terms of a team of modern terrorists with noble motives though. It is clearly manipulative in trying to convince us the police are the bad guys and the character of Klaus Löwitsch (rip) becomes one of the good guys in the end too. His character development felt really unrealistic as well. The film certainly tries to evoke emotion in the audience on several occasions and takes itself seriously as a drama too. These two aspects are really hurt by the ridiculous story-line.The cast is pretty spectacular: Schweiger, Feifel, Uhl, Blomberg, Löwitsch and Striesow are all fairly famous here in Germany. Too bad their characters were not written in a way that they could show us their potential. I also liked how we basically knew nothing about some of the group's characters such as Doris Schretzmayer's. They probably thought. Oh the actress is not that well-known, so people won't care about her anyway. Feel kinda sorry for her. She was just there. All in all, I do not recommend the watch. In my opinion, the filmmaker's attempt to have the audience feel for the characters did not work. I really didn't care at all what happened to them and honestly, I must say I found several of them rather unlikeable. This is a mix of comedy and drama with thriller elements, but it does not elaborate in a convincing manner in any of these three areas. Thumbs down.

Just saw that movie for the first time and must admit it was excellent.Background: In the late 80's Berlin was not in the front line of two political systems, which divided the world, in fact it was an island far beyond that border. But also had it's "normal" social problems as a big city. There were a lot of houses empty because no one could say to whom they belonged. On the other side a lot of poor people, often runaways, drug addicted or just disappointed people with no money for housing. So looking back it's hard to say which were the real ambitions for someone to place a bomb in an empty house... the fact is, they did it.13 years later times changed, a whole country, even more a whole world changed. Berlin wasn't an island anymore it had become the capital of Germany once more. At this time the bomb, which former refused to explode, just did this in the moment this house was rent once again - wounding two people.And the six friends had to meet once again. But also their lives had changed. One lost his legs in "fighting the system" at a demo, his good friend stick with him to help him through his life as a cripple, still kind of "fighting the system". A girl just became a mother of two children. Another one a lawyer. The fifth one a CEO in his own very successful company. And last a woman, who started to travel the world instead of fighting it.It's just a selfish approach to defend their new lives against mistakes - really big and silly mistakes - they have done in the past as young wild idealists. It's not a political statement, it's even not about right or wrong, it's just about friendship and personal expectations from each other. They know society won't forgive them for their sins in the past neglecting at least 4 of them had become more or less successful members of society, so they end up fighting the system once again.Yes you have to like them, because they all like everyone of us selfish, friends, mother and father, successful, not successful. They just come out of it if they work together as a group of friends once more..

The films that I have seen out of Germany are limited I admit, but the ones I have been seeing are just wonderful. I have added to my list of German favorites which include RUN LOLA RUN and THE HARMONISTS, the charming an edgy dramedy WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE? The characters in this film simply crackle. The plot about a reunion of 80's anarchists zooms along to its conclusion. The film is both funny and real.

There's little question that "What to do in Case of Fire" is an excellent production in all respects. However, the film has one huge flaw. Telling of "Group 39", a motley bunch of 6 young left-wing two-bit terrorist freedom fighters in a divided Germany, who, with the exception of two hapless hold-outs, do a hippy-to-yuppie end-of-the-cold-war metamorphosis, the film asks us, the audience, to cleave to their heroics as they set about to destroy police evidence linking them to a 12 year old bomb which is accidentally detonated causing only minor injuries to the innocent victims by making another bomb and planting it in the Police building. Unfortunately, it was for me, and may be for others, difficult to buy into the group's reprise as a terrorist by any other name is still a terrorist. Unlike the French film "Bandits", which creates the requisite a la Robin Hood public enthusiasm for a girl band of escaped convicts, this flick does little to make us want to care about its protagonists who are simply adding insult to injury during the run. For those who can overcome this huge flaw and buy-into the comedy-drama, an enjoyable watch awaits. (B-)