Sarah, an Aespa-obsessed friend of mine from Austria, recommended the movie I am going to tell you about today. But before I share the detailed Der Vorname review, here’s a little bit about Sarah. In these a little over two years of friendship, I have known Sarah as someone who puts others before herself.
She juggles between studies, jobs, assignments, and her favorite Aespa concerts. In between all that, every now and then we talk about life, and sometimes music. This time, it was about a few movies she and her mom recommended.
Now, let’s talk about the movie titled ‘Der Vorname’ in German and ‘How About Adolf?’ in English!
I am not very familiar with too many German movies except titles like ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, you know, the ones I can easily access in my country. and now ‘Der Vorname’, I guess I need to go into the niche at full speed; probably I will.
Anyway, I tuned into How About Adolf all blank. Didn’t know anything about the movie or had watched the trailer. It turned out to be surprisingly good.
I am someone who cares about conversations as much as action in any movie. And honestly, this movie didn’t have that action-based comedy or people running here and there in speedy frames.
Instead, the narrative was entirely dialog-based and hysterically funny.
Der Vorname’s Plot That Starts with a Name and Ends in Chaos
The movie is about a choice made, the choice of a baby that was about to be born, named ‘Adolf’. The moment this fact comes out, a simple dinner party between close family members turns into chaos, debate, and a series of digging into the past.
As secrets unravel themselves, conversations turn aggressive. Soon, the whole discussion becomes spicier than the Indian dinner that was cooked for the table.
The hosts are a couple, Stephan (Christoph Maria Herbst) and Elisabeth (Caroline Peters). Elisabeth, also called Sabeth with love, is a teacher. Stephan, her husband, is known for his obsession with books.
They’re attended by a family friend, René (Justus von Dohnányi), who has been raised with Elisabeth, Elisabeth’s brother Thomas (Florian David Fitz), and his pregnant girlfriend Anna (Janina Uhse, arriving fashionably late).
The wine’s poured, the small talk’s simmering, and then Thomas drops the bombshell: they’re naming their unborn son Adolf. Yes, the first Adolf that came into your mind was the exact reason why Stephan got heated up.
Cue the gasps, the glares, and a conversational train wreck that derails into a night of revelations, recriminations, and riotous repartee.
What makes Der Vorname sing—or rather, shout—is its dialog-driven approach. The plot doesn’t rely on slapstick or sight gags; it’s a verbal boxing match where every jab lands. The name “Adolf” isn’t just a provocation; it’s a lit fuse that ignites debates about history, hypocrisy, and hidden truths.
Everybody in the conversation has logic until someone else comes up with a better one. They all have grudges for each other, paired with a huge amount of love as well. So, it’s a typical family drama, but with some atypical causes and surely great humor.
As you watch the movie, the comedy unfolds in real time, confined to one room, like a pressure cooker of wit and woe. And yet, amidst the hilarity, there are heartfelt moments—those raw, unguarded confessions that turn a family squabble into something achingly human.
Did I tell you that Der Vorname is a Remake?
The German adaptation is taken from the French film released in 2012, ‘Le Prénom’ or ‘What’s in a Name?’ in English. The name that caused the havoc in that movie was Adolphe. Yeah, with a ‘phe’!
The popularity of this German adaptation greenlit two more follow-up movies.
Now, a little about the mind behind the remake!
Sönke Wortmann, the director behind the soccer dramedy The Miracle of Bern, proves he’s equally adept at orchestrating domestic chaos. He keeps the pacing brisk, letting the actors’ chemistry carry the film.
Well-written dialogue also carried the movie so well, all thanks to the amazing writers who worked on the movie: Claudius Pläging, Alexander Dydyna, and Alexandre de La Patellière.
Pläging adapts the script with a keen ear for German nuance, while Dydyna and de La Patellière (the latter a co-author of the original French play) infuse it with universal wit that transcends borders.
My Thought? Der Vorname Deserves Your Time
It’s like a comedic novel, where every word spoken matters. It’s funny and, honestly, a great pick for family movie times. So, give it a shot; you will laugh at some points and might even feel a little sad, but entertainment is definitely promised.
And with that, it’s time for me to wrap up this Der Vorname review.
By the way, don’t forget to drop a comment below if you have any movie recommendations.
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