Fashion Victims

Film Review by Lindsay West | 22 Aug 2008
Film title: Fashion Victims
Director: Ingo Rasper
Starring: Florian Bartholomäi, Edgar Selge, Roman Knizka
Release date: 25 Aug
Certificate: 15

Despite its vague billing as a risque German 'gay interest' comedy, Fashion Victims is in truth a far straighter affair than the rainbow titles and sartorial subtext might first imply. Looking more like a mortgage advisor than a fashion rep, Wolfgang (Selge) is a man condemned to roam the suburbs in the Mercedes he can't afford, hawking rails of polyester monstrosities to a pool of boutiques that style has clearly forgotten. All is well until young upstart Steven (Knizka) enters, all dimples and pastel colours, cramming Wolfgang's frankly delighted customers into on-trend capri pants, and stealing all his sales. Faced with financial ruin, Wolfgang ropes in his closeted teenage son (Bartholomäi) and the race for menopausal hearts and minds is on. Though somewhat tame, its light touch and innocence actually paves the way for a fairly sophisticated study of family relationships, and some well-executed observational comedy and pathos. So what if it's a little conservative, a little conventional? Even the most outrageous wardrobe has room for block colour basics, and as sensible purchases go, this one isn't half bad. [Lindsay West]

 

Read external Fashion Victims reviews on ciao.