Label Me *** (2019, Nikolaus Benda, Renato Schuch) – Classic Movie Review 12,722

Renato Schuch stars in the exceptional 2019 German drama film Label Me as Syrian refugee Waseem, who lives in a German homeless shelter, and Nikolaus Benda plays wealthy German man Lars, who lives in a smart, trendy loft apartment and pays him for sex.

Renato Schuch stars in writer/ director Kai Kreuser’s exceptional 2019 German drama film Label Me as Syrian refugee Waseem, who lives in a German homeless shelter, and Nikolaus Benda plays wealthy German man Lars, who lives in a smart, trendy loft apartment and pays him for sex.

Waseem establishes rules to reconcile it with his heterosexuality (eg no kissing) but the two become connected by an increasing interest in, and then addiction to each other as each man’s need for dominance alternates with, and develops into a longing for closeness. But their friendship starts to pose a threat to the sharp reality of Waseem’s shelter.

As two worlds collide, Label Me is a harsh, strong, powerful film, persuasively written, with two intense, natural, convincing performances, all done in one hour. For a film so full on, it is remarkably subtle, as the power struggle develops through an arc of hate, sympathy and love. The script and direction are good, though it’s the actors and acting that really make it. There are other actors but it is more or less a two-hander.

The cast are Renato Schuch as Lars, Nikolaus Benda as Waseem, Cem Aydın as Junis, Jogi Kaiser as Geschäftsmann, Thomas Balou Martin as Security Chief, Georg Baluza as Amir, Timur Ülker as Charif, Gioele Viola as Abdul Kareem, Damon Zolfaghari as Security 2, Emanuel Weber as Security 3, Christoph Wielinger as Mann Anfang 40, and Lea Fleck.

Release date: 15 January 2019.

Label Me is directed by Kai Kreuser, runs 60 minutes, is made Internationale Filmschule Köln, is distributed by Salzgeber, is written by Kai Kreuser, is shot by Malte Hafner, is produced by Sonja Kessler and Jenny Lorenz-Kreindl, and is scored by Max Kelm.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,722

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