Kokowaah : Review

Kokowaah is the story of a writer who is facing his block phase. Henri, the writer, is seeing the worst of his career as the show he penned has been cancelled due to low ratings. He is what a writer stereotypically is, living in privation, with just enough going about in his life, with an insurmountable addiction to alcohol and tobacco, very much bohemian with no dearth of women hitting on him, with no space in his grey cells to remember their names, and of course a broken marriage. Just then his past comes to haunt, in the person of the charming and cute Magdalena. Here is how Henri himself puts the quandary he is in: as a fairy tale where the knight Henri and the princess he is supposed to rescue for the King mistakenly consume the love potion and make love to each other – a love which was never supposed to happen between the two best friends. Yet, there was no antidote and so they have Magda.

Henri’s wife Katharina has made it big in the publishing industry, and with what? With the script that Henri threw at her in their break up rage. A script that was much the labour of Henri himself.

As Henri and Katharina finds warmth for each other. But Henri lacks the courage to reveal the truth of Magdalena to Katharina.

At the other end is Tristan, who has brought up Magdalena believing her to be his daughter.

What follows is a triangular conflict with Henri at its center.


Kokowaah / 2011 / German / Till Schweiger / 123 mins.


Directed by Till Schweiger, who also plays the part of Henri, this film could have been a poignant essay on parenting. However what goes wrong is the editing. Just when the movie should have touched you poetically with slow and brooding movement and music, it rushes into jump cuts and loud music. The music volume drowns the film in its pace at the wrong places.
The movie plays it well when it comes to Magdalena (Emma Shweiger). We do not have here a hapless kid who is in need of care and love. Atleast it is not that pity that the movie plays on. Magdalena surprises you by her independence and her no-nonsense attitude.

As usual, alcohol, smoking, etc are the habits that one should get rid off in the process of becoming a responsible parent. And as usual, it is love that finally helps you kick the butt.