I really am. I've lost track of how many times I've watched it. I can't wait to hear what others think. The acting is really first class, not a wrong move by any of the cast. Some reviewers think the girlfriend "shrill", but I think Katharina Schuttler played it spot on.
And I'm reading as many reviews as I can. You might want to wait until after you see it to read this so you are not influenced about the characters one way or another and form your own first opinion/impression, but I totally agree with this assessment that I found last night, from thebiggaypictureshow.com:
Movies about outwardly straight guys having an affair with another man have become relatively commonplace in gay cinema, but most are problematic, largely over how they treat the female characters. They become the villain of the piece, standing in the way of our (male) hero’s happiness. Free Fall deliberately eschews that, as while you never stop caring about Marc, he increasingly becomes the antihero as the movie continues.
He initially seems to think he can have his cake and eat it, keeping everyone happy, but comes to realize that his actions will have fallout for all involved and could end up hurting an awful lot of people, not just his girlfriend, but Kay and all around them too. And when that happens, the movie has ensured you care enough about all the characters to really feel for them.
It’s a moving tale where no one is doing quite the right the thing but you can empathize with the position they’re in, even if you don’t agree with it. There is pain and emotion in all the characters, helped greatly by good performances from the leads, who manage to create a great sense of intimacy. You can feel what each is getting from their relationships and what is at risk.
There are problems, including the fact that Kay is rather let off the hook, even though he knowingly goes into a relationship with a man who he’s aware has a live-in girlfriend. It’s partly the fault of Max Riemelt, as he is almost too good in the role...
I also got slightly annoyed with the movie gay sex. While straight sex in films often veers away from reality, there’s a slight tendency in gay-themed films to show guys having sex in ways no-one probably ever has – at least not without extreme discomfort. Free Fall is still pretty sexy, but it is slightly annoying. It would be even sillier if the film didn’t create a great sense of intimacy and passion between the men’s not quite believable insertions.
Overall Verdict: The ‘German Brokeback Mountain’ soubriquet may not be quite right, but Free Fall is still a very good film – a morality tale showing that even if something offers passion and intimacy you never thought you would have, it can still cause a lot of pain if you try and hide the truth.
Reviewer: Tim Isaac