Jana Straulino in Seventeen - Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs (2003)
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The German made-for-TV teen comedy Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs marks the first time that newcomer Jana Straulino (Das Psycho-Girl) takes center stage. Except for comedian Sissy Perlinger (Der letzte Kurier), who has a cameo as her mother, the twenty-four-year-old is the most experienced actor involved, as the others previously mainly starred in soap operas and other TV series. Furthermore director Hansjörg Thurn is quite the greenhorn himself, known better as the screenwriter of such movies as Die Putzfraueninsel and Die Stunde des Löwen than for being a direcor. Luckily this doesn’t have any negative effect on Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs at all. In fact it turns out to be quite a refreshing and ambitious change from the brain-dead and clichéd teenage comedies we’ve been plagued with recently.
Seventeen-year-old Luka (Straulino) prefers boxing to ballet and dreams of being a boy. However, this doesn’t have anything to do with her sexual preferences (she’s not gay) but more with the fact that a boy’s life appears to be so much more fulfilling and easier to handle. Luka’s chance unexpectedly comes when she’s transferred to a boarding school where people suppose the shorthaired girl to be Frankie, a boy who should have arrived on the same day as she did. After unsuccesfully trying to inform the principal about the mistake, she decides to make the best out of it and stay Frankie. Her new identity brings Luka together with outsiders Chico (Florian Jahr, Wolff’s Revier), Toby (Nicolas Kantor, SOKO Leipzig), Jo (David Winter, Große Mädchen weinen nicht), and Maus (Tim Sander, Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten) whom she quickly becomes friends with. Problems first arise when Luka starts developing feelings for Chico, emotions that surpass a regular boy-boy friendship. In additon, class president Rinker (Philip Richert, St. Angela) is jealous because his girlfriend Peggy (Karoline Schuch, Verbotene Liebe) has been showing some serious interest in “the new guy”. Things escalate and Luka ends up having to face Rinker in a boxing match…
Aside from its realistic portrayal of Luka’s coming of age experience Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs mainly benefits from a powerful and charismatic performance from leading lady Jana Straulino who, after various “classic” cutesy roles finally gets a chance to show what a versatile actress she can be. In her suction the young supporting cast turns in unexpectedly flawless and believable turns which make this little made for TV production a joy to watch.
The only noteworthy drawback for me were the terribly choreographed boxing-sequences. Nobody can expect a trained ballet dancer (which Jana Straulino actually is) to become a first rate boxer for a movie but this could have been made up for by some slightly more inventive editing. For this reason Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs’ most emotional scenes during and after the boxing match fall a little bit flat in comparison to the rest of the movie. Still, a great outing from a very talented crew!
Nudity Report: Unlike the previously released comedy Voll korrekte Jungs, Jana Straulino doesn’t get naked in this one. She does, however, provide some nice bra-clad shots early in the movie. The nudity in Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs comes from two other beautiful young gals, namely Laura Osswald and Karoline Schuch. While Osswald’s cute rocket launchers have various guest gigs before, during and after she’s imprisoned in a tanning bed Schuch’s equally lovely left breast only gives an ever so brief cameo when she’s modeling for some exploitative fella. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it!
Critics: IMDB doesn’t even have Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs listed as I write this. All major German reviewers gave it a thumbs up. Udo: 3/4. Except for the amateurish boxing sequences an excellent made for TV production with a strong performance from Jana Straulino and a beautiful soundtrack.
Box Office: Made for German TV it premiered on the 6th of February 2003.
Ratings: Seventeen – Mädchen sind die besseren Jungs hasn’t been rated prior to its initial broadcast, but would most likely be “ab 12” in Germany. All those who read my Nudity Report, however, already know that our personal buddies at the MPAA would award it an “R” if it ever were submitted to them (for nudity, language and some drug-related material).
Written by: Udo Baumann