Katharina L. Harer Free Rainer (Reclaim Your Brain) Directed and written by Hans Weingartner and co-written by Katharina Held Starring Moritz Bleibtreu and Elsa Sophie Gambard, Milan Peschel Frustrated, because he is forced to produce bad TV-shows, a manager of a TV-station, enters the station and manipulates the ratings, to initiate a TV-revolution. Critics and audience opinions on this film are a long way from congruence. While critics widely disparage the film as in-congruent, lacking in character, message and the actor's performances, as well as story-telling, the audience largely welcomes the break with tradition and conventional film making. Free Rainer or Reclaim Your Brain is often compared to one of Hans Weingartner's previous projects 'Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei' IMDb Linkhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408777/. While critics are not sure what the message of this story is exactly, the audience knows without the shadow of a doubt that Hans Weingartner, who not only directed, but also co-wrote the screenplay, has made a manifesto out of this film - a manifesto and a cry of frustration over the general state of affairs in society at large. Free Rainer is not so much about the rebellion against bad television and corrupt program directors, as it is about the emerging intellectual insurgence against today's values, or lack thereof, and the representative announcement of a large number of people, wishing to steer away from a real life enactment of a Brave New World scenario, as it was referenced in the film. Certain scenes, which have been critiqued as superfluous, might express the subconscious urge of the characters and film makers to escape our plastic world, and dive back into the element of whence we came from. Prior to evolution. This film might be highly inspired, which is why it might have to be analyzed using a different kind of lens, non-linear thinking, to understand the film. It has received enough attention to deserve a more thorough look beyond the surface of conventional practicality. Aren't we living in a time, where we can finally permit ourselves the luxury to be non-exclusively practical? Why shouldn't we allow ourselves to get lost in the jungle of different genres, mixed in this film, and at first glance, naïve, sometimes lengthy philosophical or "unnecessary" scenes of this movie? Because we are not merely consumers – we are dreamers – and we claim the luxury to dream a more subtle dream, one that doesn't make total sense to the conscious mind, but speaks first hand to our subconscious desire for unsolved mysteries, in-congruence, and contradictions, which mirror real life so much better than those "perfectly timed, sequenced, and portion-sized films" we get served on our twenty-four-hour flights to oblivion. The lack of character depth and development, some critics complain about, might be an expression of the cathartic epiphany the characters experience upon meeting like-minded souls, and embarking on a journey toward the elimination of the need for such forced upon limitations. Social phobia, as described as one of the symptoms of the main characters, is the theatrical measure of expression of the illness of society, which becomes immediately inactive once the psyche embarks on a pro-active search for liberation. The German title wears the tagline "Dein Fernseher lügt!" – "Your TV is lying!". What the film tries to convey, is that the movies and TV shows don't depict real life, and rather paint a false, fearful, and overly negative picture of the world, and life itself. In the course of the movie, the characters show the audience real life by disengaging from the television-set, using television and literature when necessary, as a tool, rather than a crutch, as mental stimulation, rather than mental comfort food. Meeting our destiny head on versus escapism. The fact that every individual will have a unique reaction and widely differing opinion about Free Rainer is proof enough that it accomplished its goal: To make a film that allows for creative, individual, and real life to find expression in a medium that should serve us, not enslave us.

misterlinder Free Rainer is a German movie from 2008 starring well-known German actors Moritz Bleibtreu and Milan Peschel. Rainer (Moritz Bleibtreu) is a TV-producer whose only goal is to have the best quotes he can get, to have the most beautiful girls and as much cocaine as possible. After a hospital stay he realises, that he has stopped at nothing for his quotes. He decides to change his life; the guerrilla-campaign against the entertainment industry begins…This is one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen. The story is very innovative and critical of society on a high level. 'Free Rainer' is a wonderful anti-globalisation movie, gripping and very entertaining. The actors did a great job; Hans Weingartner demonstrates again after 'Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei', that he is one of the best German-speaking directors of today's industry. Last but not least also the soundtrack is wonderful, beautiful pop-songs math perfectly to the story.'Free Rainer' is a must-see movie for all interested, critical of society (German-speaking) people!10 out of 10 ranking-points for this movie!

Aleksandar_D This movie is what it claims to be! It does not claim to be realistic, it claims to be a funny revenge story on somewhat, what really needs to be revenged. This movie is not education, it's only a very small part and a wet revenge dream against the other part on the scale pan, we see everyday: The awful TV program, which became our religion. And on the other side, where it should be in balance, but is not - it's like that: Total Trash. Incredibly stupid game shows, which try to force people to call and to give money for nothing, like for example: "Yes now you can win even more, tell me when do you have birthday!... 21. of August?! Oh i am so sorry, you would have won if it were the 31. of June." Or somewhat - the next superstar model casting shows. - Like it's so good to get money for doing nothing. TV became our religion, so that we reconstruct our world from, what we see and believe to be real a few people tell us so (not very normal people, who have much free time to do so). And the problem is, that we partly have to believe that it is real, so i just don't get the critique of some people "Weingartner used trash to bury trash"... The problem is - our world is slowly becoming trashier everyday. So what. Hit it with it. It's just a nice and funny movie, which unfolds to show a bit how it could be and that supposed clarification is never total. This movie has the claim, what i would call, to have a nicotine patch effect on the media world. It's not as good as a cigarette (which is trash) but it tries to help against the pain. And i think this effect is the reason for bad comments. Not for me - Because of the message - i like it and give it a ten plus.

Brooke Morriswood (This review was written after I saw the film at the Toronto film Festival in September '07)For anyone struggling to find an artistic direction, a new voice, or inspiration, this is a must. Blisteringly angry, intelligent, subversive, and furiously cynical about contemporary society, this is film-making as it should be.Wingartner's target is the dumbing-down of popular culture, primarily via the medium of lowest common denominator television. It tells the story of Reiner, a TV executive specialising in Reality TV - his latest project involves a sperm race between three contestants to win the opportunity to impregnate a woman - who experiences a Damascene conversion following an encounter with a woman whose grandfather committed suicide after being falsely indicted in one of Reiner's news shows. When his attempt to introduce intelligent programming bombs, Reiner decides to artificially manipulate the TV ratings to force the channels to alter their schedules in favour of more informed material. Gathering a motley collection of unemployed workers - the unlikeliest band of anarchists you'll ever see - he audaciously sets off his own cultural revolution.A relatively simple story is wonderfully elaborated by a marvellously sympathetic cast. Moritz Bleibtrau (now definitely laying claim to being the most interesting actor working today - just look at his resume for the last 9 years) gives a tour de force as Reiner. His character's metamorphosis from coke-snorting, brash yuppie to contemplative, passionate man of reason is never less than convincing and a wonderful exhibition of his range and charisma. He's ably supported by the luminous Elsa Shultz Gambard (unbelievably making her major film debut) as his guiding angel. The direction - though potentially overindulging in montages just a bit - is uniformly superb, allowing the actors free rein to tell the story. Nonetheless, Weingartner's deferential camera is fully capable of stepping to the fore - the opening 6 minutes constitute probably the most exhilarating car sequence I've seen this year. Though dealing with decidedly academic, political and radical themes, "Reclaim your brain"'s 129 minutes absolutely fly by. It's a blast.Anyone into cinema should see this film. Anyone who's bewailed current popular culture should see this film. Anyone who'd champion education over soma, action over passivity, or quality over quantity should see this film. And I mean SEE. At the post-movie Q&A, Weingarter was disturbingly pessimistic about his ability to continue to make films. Getting the money to make this feature has apparently been a real struggle, and he claims to have sunk most of his money from "The Edukators" into the project. "How can I continue," he asked "if the people who aren't interested in this never see it (he reckons it'll never be on TV), and those who are copy the DVD or download it? Cinema tickets and DVD sales are all I have." I'm not going to preach regarding the crime of copying/downloading, but it'd be a genuine atrocity if this man went out of work. PLease, go see.