Life Is Too Long

Life Is Too Long
Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by	Dani Levy
Written by	Dani Levy
Produced by	Manuela Stehr
Starring	Markus Hering Meret Becker Veronica Ferres Hannah Levy David Schlichter
Cinematography	Carl-Friedrich Koschnick
Edited by	Elena Bromund
Music by	Niki Reiser
Production companies	X-Filme Creative Pool Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany
Distributed by	X-Verleih (though Warner Bros.)
Release date	26 August 2010 (2010-08-26)
Country	Germany
Language	German
Box office	$976,620

Life Is Too Long (German: Das Leben ist zu lang) is a 2010 German comedy drama film, written and directed by Dani Levy. It was released on August 26, 2010, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Plot

Alfi Seliger, a 52-year-old Jewish filmmaker, describes himself as a "Nebbich", a Yiddish term for a failure. He is going through a personal and professional crisis. His wife Helena, a voice actress who largely supports the family, feels neglected and is having an affair with her director Johannes. Their children, Romy and Alain, are teenagers who despise their father, while his eccentric mother, a former film star, constantly bothers him with phone calls and melodramatic appearances. Alfi has also been unable to make a successful film since his comedy Das blaue Wunder several years earlier.

He spends his time attending parties in the hope of finding producers interested in his screenplay about the cartoon controversy, provisionally titled Mo-ha-hammed. Tired of making light comedies, Alfi wants to approach a serious subject through humor. His efforts finally seem successful when he meets Natasha, the amorous Russian wife of influential film producer Miesbach-Boronowski. She persuades her husband to sign a contract with Alfi, while demanding the female lead for herself.

To raise money for his project, Alfi reluctantly accepts a well-paid job directing episodes of a soap opera. He is fired after making excessive demands on the actors. Meanwhile, a series of misfortunes follows him: he breaks his leg and hand and undergoes a gastrointestinal examination by Professor Mohr, during which he is diagnosed with cancer. He later recovers after surgery. Miesbach-Boronowski then deceives him by exploiting a clause in the contract that Alfi had overlooked. His screenplay is turned into an RTL series about a cartoonist. To make matters worse, an incompetent financial adviser nearly causes him to lose his entire fortune.

Only Caro, a young soap-opera actress and the mistress of aging film star Georg Maria Stahl, seems to understand Alfi's troubles. During a late-night meeting at a brine bath, the two become close, although their relationship remains platonic. Caro is also the only person who accepts Alfi's sudden realization that he, she, and everyone around them are merely characters in a film.

The story then takes a surreal turn. Alfi breaks away from the screenplay, searches for the director and screenwriter responsible for his life, and confronts him about his fate. As the boundaries between reality, dreams, and fiction increasingly disappear, Alfi attempts suicide by taking large quantities of sleeping pills and tranquilizers, together with alcohol and cleaning products. His therapist, Tabatabai, had suggested this as a last resort. The attempt nevertheless fails, and after several days in a coma, Alfi awakens in Professor Mohr's clinic and reconciles with his wife.

After appearing at the Venice Film Festival as a celebrated director—although it remains unclear whether the event is real or a dream—Alfi takes part in a remarkable family reunion. His mother reveals that she was once Miesbach-Boronowski's lover and that Alfi is his son. Following further chaotic and confusing events, Alfi eventually finds himself in bed with his wife.

Cast

• Markus Hering as Alfi Seliger
• Meret Becker as Helena Seliger
• Veronica Ferres as Natasha
• Hannah Levy as Romy Seliger
• David Schlichter as Alain Seliger
• Hans Hollmann as Holger Miesbach-Boronowski
• Yvonne Catterfeld as Caro Will
• Gottfried John as Georg Maria Stahl

External links

• Life Is Too Long at IMDb