Traumfrauen (2 Stars)

What's this film about? Four women and one man? Not quite. There are other men in the film. You can't believe everything that film posters tell you.

"Dream Women" (the literal translation of the title) is about a family of three women in Berlin who are having relationship problems. The mother Margaux (Iris Berben) has recently been left by her husband for a younger woman. Her daughter Leni (Hannah Herzsprung), who runs a cafe, was planning to move in with her boyfriend until she found out that his previous girlfriend is still living with him. Her other daughter Hannah (Karoline Herfurth) is a busy lawyer with awkward social skills that prevent her finding a man.

So far it sounds like a typical American soap opera, doesn't it? Let's carry on setting the scene. Hannah shares an apartment with Vivienne (Palina Rojinski), who claims to have no problems with men because she has too much sex to worry about love. Vivienne tries to help Hannah by dressing her and giving her advice when she goes on dates, but it doesn't work. Hannah messes up, and there's never a second date with a man. Leni had already given notice for her apartment before breaking up with her boyfriend, so she has nowhere to live and has to move in with Hannah. That's what sisters are for.

So here's the solution. Vivienne says that Leni can get over being love sick by having sex with three different men in three days. If that doesn't work, she can find a fourth man. And a fifth, etc. Vivienne takes the two sisters out clubbing to help them find men. Hannah is usually shy, but after having a few drinks she feels bold enough to flirt with one of her colleagues that she spots in the club. It might have worked out, except that she's sick and manages to vomit all over his face. Yuck! That would turn me off as well.

Leni is more successful. She meets Joseph (Elyas M'Barek), an actor who's well known as a child star in a TV series. It's love at first sight. She has to go outside to put Hannah in a taxi, and he promises to wait. While she's outside Joseph gets into a fight with two fans of his TV series, so he's thrown out. She goes back in the club and thinks he's deserted her. She's approached by the singer who performed in the club that evening, Guy (Doron Amit), an Israeli superstar who lives in New York, but is considering moving to Berlin. He's gentle and sensitive, which leads Leni to fall for him. Love at first sight twice in one night? Women!

That's not the end of it. Joseph still wants to be with Leni and comes to her cafe. Leni's ex-boyfriend is also repentent and wants to be with her. Within two days she goes from having no man to three men. Can't she share with her poor little sister Hannah?

Margaux meets a man in her computer course, which is complicated when her husband wants to return to her. That seems to be a trend in her family.

Vivienne, who had sworn never to fall in love, meets a man who has an apartment with 21 dogs. He only wanted to pick one dog from an animal rescue centre, but it broke his heart to see the dogs suffering, so he kept taking new dogs. Heartless Vivienne falls for a man who has too much heart.

One thing I like to do when I watch films is search for the filming locations in Google Maps. In this film it was easy, because street signs were often visible. Margaux lives in Pücklerstraße 22, Berlin, on the corner of Amselstraße.

This is the same scene in a snapshot from Google Streetview. Why do the silly Germans insist on censoring views of their houses? In the film we can see everything. Don't forget that you can click on all the pictures for an enlarged view.

Leni finds an advertising column with a picture of the coat she's wearing. The text says "I am sooo cheap". Oops.

The advertising column is on the corner of Elisabethkirchstraße and Strelitzer Straße in Berlin.

Leni runs across the road to greet Joseph.

This is where it was filmed.

Leni talks to Joseph.

This is the same street corner from a third angle. The Germans love their censorship.

I didn't enjoy the film very much. It's supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't find it funny. It's supposed to be about romance, but I didn't find it romantic. I regret that I have to say that, because it features two of my favourite actresses, Iris Berben and Karoline Herfurth. Despite my dislike for the film overall, I have to say that this is Karoline's best performance. I've seen her in a lot of films and I've watched her interviews on YouTube, so that I feel like I know her. I have the impression that in this film she was playing herself, i.e. Hannah is the real Karoline Herfurth: intelligent but socially awkward, a winner in her career but a loser in love. Am I right? Only Karoline herself can answer the question.