What to Do in Case of Fire

What to Do in Case of Fire begins with an appealing promise: Gregor Schnitzler will treat its comedy framework as a route into character rather than an excuse for noise. The early chemistry between Klaus Löwitsch and Til Schweiger gives What to Do in Case of Fire an immediate pulse. The story of What to Do in Case of Fire begins from a specific pressure point: 6 anarchists place a time bomb in a West Berlin building in 1987. By the end of its 1h 41m running time, the value of What to Do in Case of Fire rests less on novelty than on the care of its execution.

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The central idea running through What to Do in Case of Fire concerns embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. Klaus Löwitsch gives that idea a human scale, allowing What to Do in Case of Fire to remain accessible even when its world becomes larger. By returning to How, What to Do in Case of Fire turns theme into a source of pressure rather than a message waiting to be delivered. The handling by Gregor Schnitzler lets What to Do in Case of Fire leave a little interpretive room, which gives its better scenes an afterlife.

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What to Do in Case of Fire benefits from Gregor Schnitzler being capable of strong moments without finding a complete rhythm about what each sequence needs to accomplish. Instead of making every beat equally loud, Gregor Schnitzler lets What to Do in Case of Fire create contrast between pressure and release. The appealing elements never quite settle into a seamless whole throughout What to Do in Case of Fire, with the strongest decisions feeling connected to character rather than display.

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The most useful technical choice in What to Do in Case of Fire is performer rhythm, because it helps the audience understand both space and mood. Claussen & Wöbke Filmproduktion GmbH frames What to Do in Case of Fire through performer rhythm without letting surface finish replace character. Drawing on its Germany background, What to Do in Case of Fire uses comic timing built around character to give familiar material a more specific texture. Cinematography, sound and editing meet effectively in What to Do in Case of Fire whenever a sequence must feel large without losing its human scale.

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What to Do in Case of Fire relies heavily on Klaus Löwitsch, and the performance responds with enough specificity to carry changes in mood. The contribution of Til Schweiger gives What to Do in Case of Fire a useful counterweight instead of merely echoing the lead. Martin Feifel makes the smaller exchanges in What to Do in Case of Fire count, often through timing rather than emphatic dialogue. Gregor Schnitzler understands that What to Do in Case of Fire becomes more persuasive when the cast can imply feelings before the script names them.

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What to Do in Case of Fire is most involving when the screenplay allows West Berlin to complicate what initially appears to be a story about Only. That shift gives Klaus Löwitsch a more specific problem to carry through What to Do in Case of Fire. Working from material credited to Stefan Dähnert, What to Do in Case of Fire reveals How at a measured pace instead of rushing toward its largest turn. The later pressure around the central character shows why What to Do in Case of Fire benefits whenever cause and consequence remain visibly connected.

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For comedy fans who respond to personality and timing, What to Do in Case of Fire is ultimately a mixed experience best approached with measured expectations. Its most persuasive combination in What to Do in Case of Fire brings Klaus Löwitsch together with comic timing built around character under the direction of Gregor Schnitzler. The fact that emotional turns sometimes arrive before the relationships are ready prevents What to Do in Case of Fire from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, What to Do in Case of Fire has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.