Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- bitter
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply observed, darkly comic German character drama anchored by Corinna Harfouch's commanding performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lara buys every remaining concert ticket and distributes them to strangers while Viktor remains unreachable and apparently excludes her.
Lara has mapped out and driven Viktor's piano career, making his debut inseparable from their estrangement.
Lara hands concert tickets to people she meets and repeatedly tries to engineer a successful evening despite resistance and uncertainty.
The entire birthday unfolds around Viktor's crucial piano debut and Lara's increasingly desperate effort to attend and shape it.
Films like Lara, and why
The Piano Teacher
shared melancholic character study, family estrangement, and emotionally restrained European drama
Toni Erdmann
shared German-language drama, difficult parent-child dynamics, and psychologically intense lead performance
The Souvenir
shared intimate family conflict, emotional repression, and music-centered dramatic atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Jan Ole Gerster
- Release Date
- 2019-11-07
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (85)
Cast
- Corinna Harfouch
- Tom Schilling
- Volkmar Kleinert
- André Jung
- Gudrun Ritter
- Rainer Bock
- Hildegard Schroedter
- Susanne Bredehöft
- Steffen Jürgens
- Tina Pfurr
Common questions
- What is Lara about?
- On her sixtieth birthday, an emotionally controlling mother turns her estranged son's pivotal piano debut into a desperate campaign for belonging.
- What is Lara like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lara as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lara violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lara.
- What did critics think of Lara?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply observed, darkly comic German character drama anchored by Corinna Harfouch's commanding performance.
- Which films are like Lara?
- Films with a similar feel include The Piano Teacher, Toni Erdmann, and The Souvenir.
- How long is Lara?
- Lara runs 98 minutes.
