25

MONDAY

Sebastian Schipper’s Gigantic runs only 81 minutes, and initially even that seems too long to spend with its three aimless protagonists: brooding parolee Floyd, wannabe rapper Ricco, and muscle-car mechanic Walter. The 1999 film, Schipper’s directorial debut, takes on some urgency when Floyd announces that his probation is over and he’s going to ship out on a freighter to Cape Town and Singapore—tomorrow. Though hurt by the sudden news, Ricco and Walter join their pal in one last night crawl through Hamburg’s bars, clubs, and fast-food restaurants. The subsequent misadventures include a confrontation with an Elvis-themed stunt-car team, a high-stakes game of table soccer, and a bumbling rescue of a much-too-young girl who’s had much too much to drink. Yet the evening—and the men’s friendship—is not all missteps, as the guys unexpectedly prove when somebody cues up a T. Rex song. The film screens at 6:30 p.m. at Goethe Forum, Goethe-Institut Inter-Nationes, 812 7th St. NW. $5. (202) 289-1200. (Mark Jenkins)