Tom Tykwer is in love with the philosophy of life being controlled by fate, coincidence and chance, and that our decisions, along with some playful unseen sources, determine who we are, and how we progress through life.  After Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run) set the hearts of film lovers going back in 1999, his follow-up has been anticipated, and now with this film, he does not disappoint.  While keeping the same running themes as Lola, the Princess and the Warrior goes a lot deeper into the human psyche, and maintains a more somber tone throughout.  It is a smart movie, that requires thought, attention, and possibly discussion, after a final stanza that may be a bit belabored and not make complete sense, but that Tykwer has given us the clues to make our determination as to its meaning.   I admire any filmmaker who not only lets us think on our own, but also puts the same kind of thought into his projects.

There is a lot going on under the surface, both of the film, and the characters, but I will try to summarize a bit, and let the film do the rest.  Sissi is nurse on a mental ward who goes through a mundane routine day after day.  Then a letter from her sister sets a chain of events into motion.  Sissi is involved in an accident, unknowingly caused by Bodo’s flight during a small robbery.   While hiding out from his pursuers, Bodo ends up under the truck with Sissi, and saves her life.  Once she recovers, she seeks him out, to thank him, and to “see if her life has gotta change, and if he is the reason” But she finds him to be a bitter angry man who repeatedly scorns her advances.  The remainder of the film unfolds in an interesting, emotional way, showing again how fate can play funny tricks on us.  There is another coincidental encounter between Sissi and Bodo, leading to some other revelations and events, and finally a conclusion that may not clearly resolve things, but upon further reflection, may have any number of interpretations.  Trust me, there is still a lot more going on, especially involving the residents of Sissi’s ward of the hospital, her parentage, her past, her future, and Bodo’s place in all of it.  Sissi and Bodo develop an emotional bond that could have, and would have, been exploited from a whole other level by a less patient film maker, but Tykwer realizes that the magic of human interaction comes not in the larger events, but in the minutia along the path.  Watching this film makes Serendipity seem like lesser of a joy, because it touches on darker aspects of similar topics.  Instead of focusing on a search, Tykwer focuses on the people involved.  Instead of playing for an extreme emotion, he focuses the intensity of the reactions to one another.  No other filmmaker in recent years has used irony as effectively as he does here.  He turns a story of two lost souls and their realizations because of the events that fate throws them into, and makes that, rather than the actual coincidences, the story.  These are two people seeking answers, in a never-ending maze of questions.  What is Sissi’s purpose in life? Why can’t she sleep? Why can’t he overcome his past events? Why is he so angry towards women?  Tykwer may not spell out the answers, but if you look deeply enough, you will find your own answers, just as in life, it may take some effort, and may be seen differently, by different people, but it will resonate long afterwards. Granted, the film may be a bit tiring getting to its resolution, but the unconventional, yet ironic paths that it takes are forgiveable when presented in the manner that it is.

Potente and XXXX carry this film, on their contrasting, yet oddly similar soldiers.  She has forsaken the flowing pink locks from Lola, for straight blonde ones, making her seem meek and almost mousy, but her eyes, her voice, her determination are still just as powerful and emotional as they were in Lola.  Along with XXX, who is angry and bitter, yet obviously pained, they compliment and contrast each other concurrently, and make this film all the more effective.  Witness a scene involving both characters performing a similar act, disarming individuals, and the fact that their results are the same, and the vocal volume is the same, yet their words, and the delivery, are much different.  It is Tykwer’s screenplay, along with these two performances, that carry this film to its complex, emotional resolution.

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