Doreen Jacobi in Das beste Stück (2002)

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Review

Das beste Stück is a rather charming made for German TV sex-comedy that varies the common formula by focussing on adult characters. It was directed by Oliver Schmitz (Hijack Stories) and stars Jan Sosniak (Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten), Doreen Jacobi (Die Frau, die Freundin und der Vergewaltiger), Rita Lengyel (Es geht nicht immer nur um Sex), Alexander Hörbe (Weil ich gut bin), Christian Kahrmann (Hart’s War) and Nina Bott, another Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten veteran.

The story centers on Mark (Sosniok), who appears to have a healthy relationship with his girlfriend Sonja (Bott). The only problem between them is that Mark’s penis is away too small which doesn’t exactly support his self-respect and her sexual satisfaction. Just when Mark is about to ask Sonja to marry him he accidentally catches her cheating on him with another (presumably better-equipped) guy. Deeply hurt, Mark decides to give up women in order to protect himself from further humiliations. The problem is that shortly thereafter he meets and falls in love with Lara (Jacobi), a beautiful young grade school teacher who’s attracted to him as well. In order not to reveal his little secret (no pun intended… ok, pun intended!) he tries to avoid sexual situations by making up lies which (as we all know from other movies) are not the most stable ground for a serious relationship…

I presume that there’s no need to point out that Das beste Stück’s storyline is anything but original. What sets this movie apart from other made for TV flicks dealing with similar issues is its funny portrayal of male fears when it comes to their sex-organ and two very sympathetic leading actors. Jan Sosniok should have been given a bravery award only for accepting this role. The fact that he’s also quite good and endearing of course doesn’t hurt, either. Be that as it may, the best performance in this film comes from Doreen Jacobi who is excellent as Mark’s love interest. The blonde actress perfectly embodies charm, humour and stunningly flawless natural beauty. During the more serious scenes of the film when Mark and Lara argue, Doreen is almost too good since she actually comes close to making the viewer believe that there could be an unhappy ending (which isn’t the case). The supporting cast fares surprisingly well, too. Aside from the always enjoyable Rita Lengyel who plays Lara’s best friend I especially liked Christian Kahrmann’s comedic performance as one of the members of Mark’s self-help-group. Kahrmann is probably one of the most underestimated actors in Germany, which may be a result of starting his career in the mother of all German soaps Lindenstrasse.

What I liked about the screenplay by actor Sebastian Rix (Ausverkauft!) is that unlike most teen comedies it doesn’t attempt to turn a one-joke premise into a series of gross-out gags. Instead Rix decided to focus on the romance between the two main characters which makes it more accessible to not only older but also female audiences. Of course there nevertheless are jokes that involve sex-toys and the kind of sex aids one associates with penis enlargement (weights and creams) but it’s all kept rather tame and tasteful.

While the soundtrack itself offers nothing to brag about (except for the evergreens “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Stand by Me”) the score turns out to be very entertaining and contributes to the overall lively impression of the film.

All in all, while Das beste Stück fails to deliver any truly insightful truths it remains a nice time-waster that you surely won’t regret watching!

Nudity Report: Nina Bott has two nude sex-scenes early in the film. While the first with Jan Sosniok allows us one or two brief looks at the soap-star’s cute mini-hooters, the second is lengthier and in addition contains several glorious shots of her perfect backside when she’s riding some lucky fella. Furthermore the adorable Doreen Jacobi provides copious amounts of cleavage during a couple of sexy bikini- or underwear-clad scenes.

Critics: IMDB doesn’t even have Das beste Stück listed as I write this. Udo: 2.5/4.

Box Office: Made for German TV, it premiered on the 17th of October 2002.

Ratings: Das beste Stück would most likely “ab 12” in Germany and “R” in the US (for pervasive sexual content including sexuality, nudity and dialogue).

Written by: Udo Baumann