Posted: Tuesday 19th August 2008

Karsten (Florian Bartholomai) is furious when his controlling father Wolfgang (Edgar Selge) stops him from going on his summer holiday. Instead Karsten is forced to drive his father around town whilst he tries to sell unfashionable clothes to shops. Wolfgang's competitive streak rages when new fashion seller Steven (Roman Knizka) swoops in and steals all of his customers with a trendy new fashion line. Things go from bad to worse when Wolgang's finances teeter dangerously close to ruin and Karsten starts to fall for Steven.

Fashion Victims is a coming-of-age comedy from Germany. Released theatrically in 2007, the movie debuts on DVD in the UK on August 25th 2008 and is a real gem of a movie. The combination of drama and comedy works well, slowly building to a hilarious climax. As the movie begins you're not quite sure where the plot is going to go but soon enough the quirk kicks in and you realise you're in for a fun ride.

Fashion Victims is a very entertaining and deeply funny movie. Whilst dealing with Karsten's acceptance of his sexuality, the film also explores the dysfunctional nature of the modern family. Karsten's relationship with his mother and father is at the heart of the movie and whilst he gets along with him mother to an extent, his relationship with his father is very strained. Karsten finds it difficult to accept his father's homophobic views making it easier for him to go behind his father's back and begin a relationship with rival Steven. Wolfgang on the other hand is a completely unlikeable character and you get a strange pleasure from watching him suffer. His predicament gets worse as the movie progresses but you can't help feeling that he deserves everything he gets.

Roman Knizka and Florian Bartholomai are the movie's leading men and it is their burgeoning relationship that keeps you hooked throughout the movie. Knizka's performance exudes confidence whilst Bartholomai displays the vulnerability that Karsten needs to be relatable. Edgar Selge is also worthy of a mention. His performance as the eccentric and scarily controlling Wolfgang is tragic yet incredibly funny.

Fashion Victims is a movie worth discovering. It may be off the beaten track in terms of mainstream movies but it really should be seen by a larger audience. The story is very entertaining, the acting superb and the characters larger than life. Fashion Victims is one of the best German films we've seen in a long time and we can't recommend it enough. If you like your movies with a bit of a quirky edge then check Fashion Victims out.