Janina Uhse is extremely charming with her dimples. Her face becomes even more beautiful when she smiles, making her the perfect choice for a story that starts with "love at first sight." It's hard not to be attracted to her cheerful demeanor. As soon as Dennis Mojen's character Jan lays his eyes on Pia (Uhse), he falls head over heels for her. Who can blame him? We, too, feel our defenses weakening. Writer Claudius Pläging does justice to Uhse's appeal by giving this meet-cute some nice, flirty dialogues. It also helps that Mojen looks as charismatic as the girl in front of him. Their chemistry is completely convincing. The opening scenes of "Blame the Game" are the best thing about this film. You are hooked to the screen as long as the couple stays together in their paradise. However, when external forces (Pia's friends) come in, "Blame the Game" loses its appeal.
Pia's friends are all rich. They are Karo (Anna Maria Mühe), Sheila (Taneshia Abt), Kurt (Max Bretschneider), and Oliver (Axel Stein). Jan is introduced to these people during the game night. They all assemble at Karo and Oliver's mansion, which is located in Grunewald. According to Jan's best friend Alex (Edin Hasanovic), "there are no chill people there." He further says, "I mean, they've all already won at the Monopoly of life." He also mentions that Pia's friends will judge whether Jan is the right partner for their friend and will scoff at him for not getting a proper education. Of course, there is also the matter regarding his not-so-good financial status. Alex, basically, tells you everything that's going to happen in the film. Pia's friends, expectedly, come across as self-obsessed jerks, except for Kurt. What's worse is that Oliver ends up inviting Pia's ex-lover, Matthias (Stephan Luca), without informing anyone. Matthias turns out to be as horrible as others.
Pia suggests leaving the game night upon Matthias' arrival, which would have been the best decision. But Jan doesn't want to present himself as a coward, so he assures Pia that her ex's presence doesn't matter - they are all grown-ups. We obviously know the situation will keep on getting worse. When Pia and Jan enter the mansion, they tackle an airbag malfunction. A bird (Oliver's beloved pet) flies out the window a few minutes later. Oliver makes fun of Jan's mistake in saying the name of some game, and then there is Matthias. In other words, the night is not in favor of Pia's current lover. However, as the movie progresses, we learn that there are many cracks behind the characters' luxurious facade. Someone is going through a bad breakup, while someone else is facing marital problems. The people of Grunewald may have won the Monopoly of life, but they seem to have little control over their personal lives.
The more time you spend with Pia's friends and Matthias, the more they get on your nerves. Blame the Game suggests that rich people have flaws but are not entirely despicable - they deserve a second chance. This notion is exemplified in the final scene inside Jan's apartment. But to convey such a message, Petry makes us sit through scenes that merely test our patience. Even if we say things like, "The director wants to put us in Jan's shoes," Blame the Game doesn't get any better. That's because you don't need to waste your time in the company of such terrible characters to understand what it's like to be with horrible people in a closed environment. Blame the Night's insistence on keeping Jan and Pia in the game night, despite numerous uncomfortable events, seems to serve no purpose other than to provoke the audience. The filmmakers simply want to push our buttons in the name of entertainment. You don't require exceptional skills or be an artist to do what Petry does here. You just need to be brutal.
Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
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Publisher at Midgard Times