Last night¹Run Lola Run made it to the cultural backwater that claims itself Aberdeen. This hitchhiker managed to drag himself from the sofa to watch. It was well worth it. Run Lola Run is a German film, with subtitles, by the director Tom Tykwer. It is 81 minutes of pure class.

The cinema was packed, unusual on a Wednesday night, and the atmosphere was electric. The film was about 20 minutes in the life of a courier, for a gangster, Mannie and his girlfriend, Lola. The scene is set by a frantic telephone conversation between the two. Lola has had her moped stolen, and was late for a rendevous with Mannie. Mannie, with the gangsters money, sets off alone. On the way to meet the ganster the police get on the same train, and reflex kicks in and Mannie is off, leaving the money on the train. A mental bagman picks the bag up and the problems begin. Mannie needs 100 000 deutchmarks to replace those he lost. He threatens to rob a grocery store, but Lola says that she will help him.

The rest of the film is then taken up by Lola running to her father at the Deutch Bank, to get the money, and the subsequent race to get to Mannie before 12 O'Clock. However, the film shows the same run, with subtle differences, three times. Like a better form of Groundhog Day, when it goes wrong, Lola gets the chance to do it again.

The film is very stylishly shot, not only showing how subtle differences affect the outcome for the main characters and the story line, but also incidental characters. In the three chances that Lola has she passes the same few characters over and again, each the character's future is mapped out in a quick series of still photographs, the slight changes in Lola's run seemingly wringing massive changes in their futures. However it is the changes in the main charaters stories that emphasize the subtle spiral of causality². Mr Myers and his car being the most obvious, showing that timing is everything.

The soundtrack is spot on, a suberb thumping beat that fits beautifully in with the run. Building tension and keeping the atmosphere on a knifes edge. Now techno/dance music doesn't appeal to all, but it is the first 'must have' soundtrack since Trainspotting. It may give the film a music video tinge, but the plot and the characters quickly take your mind from that.

The film itself contains some unforseen twists, and the audience were very appreciative. It is the closest this hiker has ever seen a UK audience to cheering and clapping in the cinema, which must have something to say about the film. All in all this hitchhiker would give it 9.5/10. It should definatly go into the permanent collection when it comes out on video. The only bad thing is that it is so good that there will be a crap American remake, on its way, soon.