THE EDUKATORS

In Germany, two young men make a habit of breaking into the homes of wealthy citizens and cause a stir, not by stealing, but by making the homeowners very uncomfortable upon their return. Furniture is stacked, artwork is hidden, electronics are put in the fridge...and the only hint of the perpetrators is one of two notes: "You have too much money" or "Your days of plenty are numbered", both signed by 'The Edukators'.

That's probably THE most basic outline I can give you without giving anything away. I really had no idea what I was in for when I rented this, other than an ad I saw for it when it played at a local art house earlier this year. I think it would be a bad idea to give anything away here. It's got some twists & turns and I really had no idea how it was all going to end, but really it's the performances & dialogue that blew me away.

The movie deals with a lot of subjects: fighting for one's ideals, the thrill of illegal activities and the repercussions, how growing older changes one's outlook on life, materialism, trust, rebellion... When their plan goes awry (how could it not?), the men (and a girlfriend) must face all of these things.

The first half of the film reminded me of "Shallow Grave" in a sense. When we follow the characters on a breaking-&-entering mission, I was completely stressed out, wondering if/when they would be caught. Later on, the movie takes a turn and turns into a discussion on the politics of youth, trust, morality and ethics.

That's not to say it's stuffy, by any means. There are little twists that keep it interesting. At least, it kept me interested.