52 Films by Women Vol 2. 21. WE USED TO BE COOL (Was hat uns bloß so ruinert?) (Director: Marie Kreutzer)
How many Austrian comedies can you name? Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t count. A google search did yield one curiosity, The Unfish , a 1997 film by Robert Dornhelm about a young woman who discovers that whoever sleeps with her in the body of a preserved whale will be granted one wish. I know what that wish will be – a bed from IKEA. The point is that Austria is not known for its sense of humour. It is practically a lachenfrei zone. This makes writer-director Marie Kreutzer’s comedy, Was hat uns bloß so ruinert ( We Used To Be Cool ) so unusual. It doesn’t exactly tear down the stereotype but when you see one of the characters ride a bicycle at the same time as trying to pull a suitcase, you appreciate the effort. We Used To Be Cool will put you in mind of TV series like Thirtysomething and Cold Feet or films such as What to Expect When You’re Expecting . It is about three couples who become parents at the same time. One pair, Ines (Pia Hierzegger) and Chris (Manuel Rubey) spl...