Summer Storm

Review By: J.P. Mangalindan
JPMangalindan@TheCinemaSource.com

Coming-out stories are a dime a dozen — not that that’s a bad thing. I think it’s awfully important for people to understand the difficulties faced by someone grappling with his/her sexuality, but it’s just not new territory anymore. Brokeback Mountain pretty much ensured that: its continuing resonance in popular culture marks a huge watershed for gay awareness — sure, people can say it’s not a “gay story”, but any film where guys “stem the rose” together is pretty friggin’ gay in my book — and consequently raises the bar for gay cinema.

In the wake of Ang Lee’s triumph, the U.S. receives Summer Storm, a quaint German film that premiered in its native country in 2004. Summer Storm isn’t the first coming out film released in Germany — that distinction goes to 1989’s aptly-named Coming Out — so even in its own country, director Marco Kreuzpaintner isn’t breaking ground. But watching Summer Storm, one gets he isn’t trying anything revolutionary; he just wants to tell a heartfelt tale and tell it well.

Best friends Tobi and Achim are rowing buddies who spend the summer practicing for the end of the season regatta. But sexual awakenings for both buds present their own set of problems. While Achim eyes Sandra, Tobi reluctantly realizes the object of his affection isn’t the beautiful Anke, but actually his best friend. The catalyst for Tobi’s coming out is their rival rowing team, a team of gay male rowers who call themselves Queerschlag, which not only challenges these adolescents’ own sexual prejudices, but also sets in motion a chain of events that climaxes during an unexpected storm.

Summer Storm wears its heart on its sleeve, which occasionally can be annoying. The film is nearly predictable to a fault: Will Tobi accept his sexuality, but also, will his peers accept the class clown for who he truly is? Also, will Tobi and Achim remain friends? It’s not really a matter of “if” any of your questions will be answered, so much as “when” in an almost cookie-cutter fashion. By Summer Storm’s end, everything’s pretty much wrapped up with a tidy little bow. Indeed, moments like the contrived solution to the Queerschlag’s rowing problems read as hokey as an ABC Family special. The only surprise Kreuzpaintner delivers concerns Tobi’s love for Achim. Do they or don’t they hook up? Sorry to ruin the fun kiddies (read: SPOILER ALERT), but those jonesing for a twist of Y Tu Mama Tambien proportions should look elsewhere.

Just because Summer Storm isn’t original or doesn’t carry the heft of Brokeback doesn’t mean it’s a wash-out. Just think of the aforementioned flaws as a disclaimer and