''Der bewegte Mann'' (international title: ''The Most Desired Man'', U.S. title: ''Maybe ... Maybe Not'') is a 1994
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
film directed by
Sönke Wortmann
Sönke Wortmann (; 25 August 1959 in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German film director and producer.
Biography
Wortmann's father was a miner. After Wortmann's A-Levels he wanted to become a professional football player and started playin ...
and starring
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 ...
,
Rufus Beck
Rufus Beck (born 23 July 1957) is a German theater, film, and voice actor.
Besides his work on stage, on film, and on television, Beck is also a well known reader of audiobooks, having worked as the narrator of the German translations of the H ...
,
Joachim Król
Joachim Król (, born 17 June 1957 in Herne, West Germany) is a German actor, known for his appearances in the films '' Run Lola Run'', '' Maybe, Maybe Not'', and '' Anne Frank: The Whole Story''.
Early life and education
Król was born in H ...
and
Katja Riemann
Katja Hannchen Leni Riemann (, born 1 November 1963) is a German actress.
The daughter of two teachers, Riemann grew up in Weyhe, near Bremen. After high school she went to Hamburg to study music and theater. She is the mother of actress Pau ...
.
The film developed from the comics "Der bewegte Mann" and "Pretty Baby" by
Ralf König
Ralf König (born 8 August 1960) is one of the best known and most commercially successful German comic book creators. His books have been translated into many languages. He has resided in Soest, Dortmund and Berlin and now lives in Cologne.
B ...
.
Plot
After she caught him cheating on her on a public toilet, Axel (played by
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 ...
) has just been dumped by his girlfriend Doro (
Katja Riemann
Katja Hannchen Leni Riemann (, born 1 November 1963) is a German actress.
The daughter of two teachers, Riemann grew up in Weyhe, near Bremen. After high school she went to Hamburg to study music and theater. She is the mother of actress Pau ...
), and needs to find a new place to live. He meets Walter a.k.a. Waltraud (
Rufus Beck
Rufus Beck (born 23 July 1957) is a German theater, film, and voice actor.
Besides his work on stage, on film, and on television, Beck is also a well known reader of audiobooks, having worked as the narrator of the German translations of the H ...
), a transvestite who participated in a heterosexual men's group to provide a gay man's perspective. Walter talks Axel into joining him and some friends at a gay party afterwards, and tries to convince Axel to move in with him. At the party, Axel decides instead to move in with Walter's best friend, Norbert (
Joachim Król
Joachim Król (, born 17 June 1957 in Herne, West Germany) is a German actor, known for his appearances in the films '' Run Lola Run'', '' Maybe, Maybe Not'', and '' Anne Frank: The Whole Story''.
Early life and education
Król was born in H ...
), whose boyfriend has just left him. Later, at Axel and Doro's apartment, Norbert tries to seduce Axel while they browse old photos. Just when Norbert has shed all his clothes, Doro shows up at the door, and Axel hastily hides Norbert. Doro explains to Axel that she's expecting his child and wants to give their relationship a second chance. She is not amused to discover a naked man in the wardrobe, but Axel manages to convince her that nothing has happened. Excited about fatherhood and eager to return to Doro, Axel forgets about his new friendship with Norbert.
But soon Axel discovers a downside to the pregnancy: he finds that he is extremely adverse to having sex with a pregnant woman, due to an irrational fear of hurting the child. Despite his engagement to her, he decides to stray when he encounters Elke, a former girlfriend. They are trying to find a place to have sex when Axel bumps into Norbert again. At first Norbert is angry with him for having left without a word, but Axel claims it's only because Doro was upset. Axel convinces Norbert to lend his apartment for the tryst with Elke. A few days later at Norbert's apartment, Elke gives Axel a mind-altering drug, and leaves him sitting naked on a table. Meanwhile, Doro has learned that Axel went to Norbert's apartment, and she thinks that Axel is going to have sex with Norbert. She confronts Norbert at his apartment and upon entering, she sees Axel naked and unable to speak and starts to go into labor. In the bathroom Norbert finds Elke and Norbert's not-so-gay boyfriend playing in the tub. As Norbert drives her to the hospital, he attempts to explain everything on the way. Doro forgives Norbert and they become friends, but her relationship with Axel is in question.
Cast
Reception
The film opened on 188 screens on 6 October 1994 and was number one at the German box office.
It sold 1 million tickets in its first three weeks generating a gross of $10.3 million. It remained in the top 10 for 24 weeks and went on to become the
highest-grossing German film with admissions of over 6 million and a gross of over 60 million
Deutsche Mark
The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...
($43 million).
[ It was the most popular German film of 1994 with almost 4 million admissions and also in 1995 with over 2 million admissions.][ It was also a success in Switzerland and Finland.][
The film was awarded the Golden Shell for best film at the German Film Awards and also won awards for best director (Wortmann) and best actor (Krol).]
See also
*List of German language films
This is a list of films in the German language. For a more comprehensive list see :German-language films
*'' 10 Sekunden'', 2008
*'' 2030 – Aufstand der Alten'', 2007
*'' 2030 – Aufstand der Jungen'', 2010
*'' 3 Engel für Ali'', 2003
*'' 89 ...
*List of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related films
This article lists lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-related films involving participation and/or representation of LGBT. The list includes films that deal with or feature significant LGBT issues or characters. These films may involve LGBT ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bewegte Mann
1994 films
1994 comedy films
1994 LGBT-related films
Films based on German comics
Films directed by Sönke Wortmann
Films set in Germany
Films shot in Cologne
Films set in Cologne
Gay-related films
German comedy films
1990s German-language films
German LGBT-related films
Films produced by Bernd Eichinger
Live-action films based on comics
Films adapted into television shows
LGBT-related comedy films
1990s German films