Do you remember where you were when the Berlin Wall fell? Maybe you were not born yet but it’s the equivalent of asking where you were on 9/11. Everyone has a traumatic memory of that moment they found out the towers fell. All is fine in 89 tells the story of the last field party of the year for the class of Romano high school, set with the backdrop of the Berlin Wall collapse.
The story follows an ensemble cast of many different students and teachers, each of which is in a different Social circle. From jocks to nerds, each character is going through their own personal issues and trauma. High school is hard enough as it is when you are being bullied and peer pressured but in some cases, some students are going through much worse. The added pressure of leaving the comfort of highschool and growing up in an uncertain world after the Collapse of the Berlin Wall holds a level of uneasiness throughout the film and keeps tension high constantly. All of the issues that each student is going through always gives you the impression that something terrible is going to happen at every turn. Especially with the school bully, Cole Sullivan played by Tom Keat.
The music in the film is absolutely spectacular and captures the nostalgia of the 80's perfectly. Some classics in the film are Obsession by Animotion and Sussudio by Phil Collins, just to name a few. The Lupis Brothers pay homage to the brat pack era and 80's Nostalgia. The tense scene building and character writing are all well crafted to give us an emotional coming of age story that deals with many tough subjects like teen pregnancy, identity, abuse and bullying.
All is Fine in 89 may not be available for viewing yet but should definitely be on your radar. You can support the film and follow its release on its socials @allisfinein89
4/5
Review by: Stefano Bove