Elyas M'Barek celebrates its Netflix premiere with the film "What we wanted". In the relationship drama, he shows himself in an unfamiliar role.
The new film by "Fack Ju Göhte" star Elyas M'Barek (38) will be available on Netflix in Germany from November 11th. With "Was we wanted" the actor celebrates its premiere on the streaming service, even if the film was originally produced for Austrian cinema. Elyas M'Barek, whom his fans love in comedies such as "The Perfect Secret", shows a different side of himself in "What we wanted". The relationship drama deals with a taboo subject. In any case, the film convinced the professional association of the film and music industry: "What we wanted" is Austria's candidate for the Oscar abroad.
This is what "What We Wanted" is about
Alice (Wilson) and Niklas (M'Barek) are a young couple who want nothing more than to have a child together. After several failed in-vitro experiments, they want to clear their heads with a holiday in Sardinia. But that's exactly where everything comes up that you've tried to suppress so far. They also have a family of four from Tyrol as neighbors, who at first glance seem to have everything they have always dreamed of. But the happy appearance is deceptive.
Lavinia Wilson and Elyas M'Barek fight for love
Director Ulrike Kofler (46), who also wrote the screenplay, dedicates herself to a special challenge for couples with "What we wanted": the unfulfilled desire to have children. A topic that more couples struggle with than one thinks, but that is rarely discussed openly. Pregnancies and births are usually celebrated enthusiastically, often even in public. But what if it doesn't work? Miscarriages or failed artificial inseminations are rarely discussed. A taboo topic that is rarely taken up in films and series. It is all the more important that it now happens on a large platform.
Plus with Elyas M'Barek in one of the leading roles. The audience favorite should attract one or two viewers. But all fans who expect classic Elyas M'Barek fare should be forewarned: This film is different. And the actor also shows a new side of himself – apart from the sonnyboy so typical for him with the brisk sayings and the smile that melts women's hearts in rows. For that you get to hear your Austrian accent. As Niklas, he wears a mustache and is unusually taciturn. The unspoken weighs all the heavier and more depressing here.
What does it do to a couple if the desire to have children remains unfulfilled? Lavinia Wilson and Elyas M'Barek present two different processing options in their performances. It becomes clear how hard this can burden a relationship. When sex turns from making love to fulfilling duty. When the woman and the man each struggle with the "failures" of their own bodies. When it's easier to open up to strangers than to your own partner. When well-intentioned phrases and advice pour in from the outside. When a lot simply remains unsaid. Can love get through this?
Conclusion
"What we wanted" is an oppressive relationship drama that sometimes really hurts to watch. Lavinia Wilson and Elyas M'Barek play this distance and desperation in their relationship impressively. From time to time you want to call out to them: Just talk to each other. But it's not that easy when the great dream of a lifetime fails. A film with rough edges, but not only reflecting couples who cannot have children. "What we wanted" shows the dark side of relationships that are just as much a part of reality as happy endings.