Old white man in the cinema

Question for a friend: When do you become an old white man? What if the hair on your head becomes less and more on your back? When debates about racism or feminism pass you by and you think mansplaining is a sport? Or when no one understands you anymore?

As a middle-aged white man, you are of course miles away from this universally feared situation – at least that’s what you tell yourself. But age questions can no longer be answered with the number of years of life. No, old white men are of course the others: those who have missed the boat, who are neither politically correct nor woke and can’t even gender properly. Men like Heinz Hellmich.

The man in his mid-fifties wearing a corduroy suit works in middle management at a medium-sized company, lives with his wife and children in a single-family home with a solar system on the roof, and the neighborhood children greet him. So far, so average: When a management consultant comes to his company and wants to transform it in terms of debate culture, diversity and digitality, Heinz becomes nervous. When his wife has her own plans and smiles away his problems, he goes to therapy. And when he meets genderqueer people and mind-expanding substances on a trip to Berlin, he goes completely crazy.

The hero may stumble and fail, but he remains lovable

Jan Josef Liefers plays this average German man who is afraid of shitstorms, job loss and cultural appropriation, of hidden racism and the not-so-well-hidden “I Love My Penis” mugs in the closet. A large part of the audience should identify with this. And also those who think that nothing is allowed to be said these days; and how difficult everything has become in times of climate, war and viruses. These people are just as confused as Heinz in the movies: they will understand him and laugh when he stumbles from one faux pas to the next. Because it all feels so real: what happened to this poor guy could happen exactly the same to you.

After his milli-vanilli film “Girl You Know It’s True,” Simon Verhoeven wrote and directed this story of a culture clash. What would also make for a satire or even grotesque, a reckoning with toxic masculinity, he tells in a much gentler way. His hero may be a declaration of war, a cliché and a badass at the same time – he may stumble and fail, but always remains lovable. “Old White Man” is a social comedy that means well with its characters, supports its hero and does not betray him. Verhoeven shows understanding for his uncertainty: This makes the film likeable, but also a bit too smooth and pleasing.

In addition, he deals with a problem that is unique to comedy makers: What can you do to get a lot of laughs, but what is more likely to cause a backlash? The humor front is considered a mined area; Scenes or skits that were considered hilarious a few years ago, as real screamers or thigh-smackers, are no longer made at all today. Jokes about people who think differently, look differently or love differently? Difficult. Gags about men who don’t listen or women who can’t park? In times of equality debates, no one does that anymore. And no one wants to understand irony these days anyway.

In order to save his job and his reputation, Heinz invites Hellmich to a family dinner. This is the comedic climax of the film, when everyone finally sits at the table together and talks to each other: Heinz’s boss, his therapist, his wife, the children, an outsider or the management consultant. Heinz’s father is also there – and anyone who listens to him asks themselves: Who is the old white man here?

“Old White Man” by Simon Verhoeven. In the cinema.

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