Films and series that take place in real time have been providing thrills for decades. In the Western classic “12 Noon” (1952), a Marshall has to choose between true love and a duel with a vengeful bandit. In the hit US series “24” (from 2011), anti-terror agent Jack Bauer has 24 hours to protect the country from attacks. And in the German thriller “Lola Run” (1998), Franka Potente rushes through Berlin for 20 minutes to find 100,000 DM and thus save her boyfriend’s life.
In the new Netflix film “60 Minutes,” which premieres on Friday, protagonist Octavio (Emilio Sakraya) also has to rush across the capital. But the dilemma that makes these types of films so exciting and nerve-wracking seems overly contrived and exaggerated.
The martial arts fighter is about to have an important fight and then wants to visit his daughter Leonie, who is celebrating her seventh birthday. Shortly before we go into the ring, the cell phone rings. Octavio’s ex-girlfriend threatens to file for sole custody if he doesn’t show up for his birthday by 6 p.m. sharp.
Why he can’t show up an hour later with a birthday cake and a present – a cat named Onion – doesn’t really make sense. But the powerhouse decides to skip the fight and get from Wedding to Neukölln within 60 minutes. Because serious criminals have bet a lot of money on the fight, they pursue Octavio on the way to his fatherly duties.
Screenwriter Philip Koch (“Picco”) underpins the constructed drama with sentences like “The guy has to fight, otherwise we’re all screwed” and Leonie’s “Dad, you have to come, mom is really mad.”
Spanking scenes an “extreme physical experience”
In the following 60 minutes, Octavio tries to get to his destination by taxi, subway or e-scooter, but repeatedly gets involved in fights (in the car, café and techno club). These demanded a lot from the passionate martial artist Sakraya (“Rheingold”), for whom the entire film is tailored.
“It was an extreme physical experience. I was present in almost every scene and had to constantly run or fight. You have to have a lot of physical strength for it to work,” the 27-year-old told the German Press Agency.
Everyone knows this: something always comes up
In addition to the appealing fight choreographies and a strong lead actor, “60 Minutes” creates a real-time dilemma that wants to trigger action and emotions, but at the same time seems unrealistic.
“Films are always an exaggerated representation. We want to entertain,” emphasizes Sakraya. “Everyone probably knows the feeling: you’re rushing through a city, something always comes up that keeps you from your goal. For me that’s the message: you really want to achieve something, but sometimes things come up that aren’t yours Hand lying.”
In the end, you still wonder why Octavio doesn’t just fight his opponents and then join the U8.
