Köln 75 Review: A Musical Improvisation

Much like the musical genre that it depicts, Köln 75 is an unpredictable and non-conformist drama about the budding jazz scene in 1970s Berlin.

There’s an irony in the character’s words, however, as Köln 75 is constantly striving to do the same thing with its storytelling. Ido Fluk’s energetic drama refuses to conform to any expectations placed upon it, using non-linear storytelling and fourth wall breaks to keep the audience on their toes. Unfortunately, it lacks the confidence to completely lean into its unpredictability in the way that makes great jazz music so powerful.

Köln 75 follows the character of Vera Brandes (Mala Emde), an ambitious teenager who finds herself dragged into the world of jazz music when a local musician hires her to organize his upcoming tour. Despite pressure from her parents to follow a more traditional career path, Vera falls deeper into the world of music and eventually signs a generational prodigy who’s lost his spark over the years. The film explores both characters’ fluctuating relationship with the unstable industry, celebrating the music that moved German culture so foundationally in the late 20th century. 

One thing that Köln 75 fully understands is that a film about jazz music has to be lively and energetic, and the majority of the screenplay really carries that momentum forward. The first act is an absolute whirlwind of hilarious dialogue, snappy editing decisions, and fast-paced storytelling that barely lets up for a second. The two central performances from Mala Emde and John Magaro are entirely captivating, and whenever they share the screen to discuss the power of music, Köln 75 really strikes gold. Unfortunately, there’s an unnecessarily large portion of the film that doesn’t focus on this dynamic, and these scenes feel completely out-of-place in an otherwise pointed and fearless story.

This disjointed momentum is the main thing holding Köln 75 back from being truly great, and it’s impossible to overlook. At less than two hours in length, the film simply doesn’t have time to include so much excess fat in the screenplay – there are times where the narrative steps away from Vera’s story altogether to focus on a totally different character, and that stops the film dead in its tracks. Luckily it doesn’t take too long for the absorbing performances to bring the audience back into the story, but there’s no excuse for these scenes to be so exhaustive in the first place.

Köln 75 is the rare case of a movie that has a five-star first act (and several other great scenes throughout), but a mediocre ending that leaves a poor taste in the mouth. It’s easy to suspect that much of this story was lost on the cutting room floor or altered beyond recognition in post, because it doesn’t feel like certain scenes just don’t feel tonally consistent with each other. The film makes an effort to push boundaries and subvert expectations with its fourth wall breaks and unique editing decisions, but there are half-hour sequences where these just don’t appear. It’s stuck somewhere between wanting to make bold, memorable decisions but not wanting to alienate the audience in doing so.

The words “just improvise” become a mantra for Vera’s character throughout the film, whether it’s when she’s hyping herself up to find new clients or persuading her existing ones to get on stage, but it also describes the film itself. Much of Köln 75 feels like improvisation, and perhaps that’s the point. It’s loose, it’s non-conforming, and it moves to the rhythm of jazz itself: without structure or form. Sometimes the instruments are all harmonizing and the film soars effortlessly, and other times it misses notes and gets carried away with lengthy solos.

Köln 75 premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on February 16, 2025. Read our Berlin Film Festival reviews!