''Barefoot'' (German title ''Barfuss'') is a

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film by German actor and director

Til Schweiger Tilman Valentin Schweiger (; born 19 December 1963) is a German actor, voice actor and filmmaker. He runs his own production company, Barefoot Films, in Berlin. Early life Schweiger was born in Freiburg, West Germany, to two teachers. He grew ...

released in 2005. It tells the story of Nick (Til Schweiger), a

hedonistic Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decre ...

bachelor, who helps and eventually falls in love with Leila, an escaped psychiatric patient portrayed by Johanna Wokalek. Schweiger also co-wrote the screenplay which is based on American screenwriter Stephen Zotnowski's original screenplay and story "Barefoot". An American remake, ''

Barefoot Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to ...

'', was released in 2014.

Plot

The life of Nick Keller (

) can hardly be called well sorted. He stumbles from one temporary job to the next, and he has very serious problems with Heinrich, his rich and influential stepfather, as well as with his brother Viktor. Nick's latest temporary job is as a cleaner in a psychiatric clinic, where he prevents the barefooted patient Leila ( Wokalek) from committing suicide just as he is being fired from this latest employment. Leila's story is also complex. The first nineteen years of her life she had been confined at home by her mother. She has been hospitalized in the clinic after her mother's death, but is desperate to leave. However, emotionally Leila is still a child. For example, everything that she is told, she takes literally; and she dislikes physical contact with strangers. The unexpected consequence of Nick's saving Leila from hanging herself is that Leila secretly follows her saviour, in her nightdress and once again barefooted; and she appears in front of his door that night. After Leila adamantly refuses go back to the clinic, she and Nick go on a road trip together in order to attend his brother's wedding to Nick's ex-girlfriend. During the trip the relationship between the two deepens significantly. However, after serious disputes with his family, Nick once again tries to hospitalize Leila. As a result, he has to confess to himself that he has fallen in love with her. Nick is then arrested for attempted kidnapping, and Leila is brought back to the clinic. Nick pretends to have mental problems so he can go into the clinic with Leila, but only after Leila once again attempts suicide does her doctor admit him. The last scene shows them together shopping in a supermarket some months later, after their release from the clinic.

Cast

as Nick Keller * Johanna Wokalek as Leila *

Nadja Tiller Nadja Tiller (born 16 March 1929 in Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian actress. She was one of the most popular German-speaking actresses of international films of the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Nadja Tiller, daughter of actor Anton Tiller of Vie ...

as Frau Keller *

Steffen Wink Steffen Wink (born 5 July 1967) is a German actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, ...

as Viktor Keller *

Michael Mendl Michael Mendl (born Michael Sandrock; 20 April 1944) is a German actor. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1975. He is best known internationally for his role in '' Downfall'', the 2004 movie about Adolf Hitler's final days inside the ...

as Heinrich Keller *

Alexandra Neldel Alexandra Monika Neldel (born 11 February 1976) is a German actress from Berlin. Career Neldel worked as a dental assistant before she was discovered by the boss of a Berlin casting agency during a polo competition. He helped her audition f ...

as Janine *

Imogen Kogge Imogen Kogge (born 8 February 1957) is a German actress. She appeared in more than forty films since 1983. Selected filmography References External links * 1957 births Living people German film actresses {{Germany-actor-stub ...

as Dr. Blöchinger *

Janine Kunze Janine Kunze (born 20 March 1974 in Cologne) is a German actress and television presenter. She is best known for her roles in the comedy series ''Hausmeister Krause – Ordnung muss sein'' and sketch comedy show ''Die Dreisten Drei,'' in which she ...

as Sarah Sommer *

Stefanie Stappenbeck Stefanie Stappenbeck (born 11 April 1974) is a German actress. She has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows since 1986. Selected filmography * ''September'' (2003) * ''Barfuss ''Barefoot'' (German title ''Barfuss'') is a r ...

as Jessica *

Axel Stein Axel Stein (born 28 February 1982) is a German actor and comedian. He was born in Wuppertal and works as an actor in German television and cinema productions. Filmography file:IMG 4576 Axel Stein.JPG, Stein in 2010 * 1999–2008: ''Hausmeiste ...

as Truck driver * Markus Maria Profitlich as Car dealer 1 * Mark Keller as Car dealer 2 *

Éric Judor Éric Judor (born 25 July 1968 in Meaux), sometimes simply called Éric, is a French actor, director, screenwriter and comedian. He gained notoriety by forming, with Ramzy Bedia, the comedy duo Eric and Ramzy. After several feature films with hi ...

as L'homme

Critical response

The film was generally well received and was awarded the German Media Award

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten. ...

as the best German film of 2005.

References

External links

Official site
* 2005 films 2005 romantic comedy films German romantic comedy films 2000s German-language films Films directed by Til Schweiger 2000s German films {{2000s-Germany-film-stub