Raina (2021)
| Raina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Madia Stengel |
| Starring | |
Running time | 133 minutes |
| Country | Albarine |
Raina is a 2021 Albarinean crime-thriller film written and directed by Madia Stengel, staring Karoline Redler, Lennard Backer, and Marc Neumayer. The film premiered at the 95th Tofino Film Festival on July 5th, 2021.
Plot
Raina is a Jyaueze woman who moved to Saint Raneau and has been living there for three months. She works in a cafe for a meager wage, and does not know anybody in the city. In addition, she does not speak much Albarinean, and her only common language with the people around her is English. Leaving a club at around 4 o’clock in the morning after a night of dancing and drinking, she meets four young men who are denied entry to the club. They are Sal, Basti, Benny, and Florentin. The men invite her to take a walk through the city and she agrees. After stealing some alcohol from an all night shop, they all get on the roof of an apartment building where they drink and smoke marijuana together, while Boxer reveals that he spent time in jail for hurting someone.
When Raina tells the others that she has to leave because she must open up the cafe she works at in a short time, Sal, who was flirting with her the whole time, suggests accompanying her there and she agrees. When Sal leaves with her, he is told by Basti to return soon. It is implied that the four men have something important to do this night.
When Raina and Sal arrive at the cafe, she invites him in for a cup of coffee, but he insists he only drinks cacao. While the two are alone inside, Sal notices a piano, tinkles a bit on it and then dares Raina to also play something. After much coaxing, she sits down and masterfully plays one of the Mephisto Waltzes, deeply impressing and moving Sal. She then reveals that she had dedicated her whole life to the dream of becoming a concert pianist but had been told a short time ago at her music school that she was not good enough to continue.
Shortly after, an extremely nervous and agitated Basti arrives and demands that Sal leave with him immediately. In front of the cafe, the four men steal a car and drive away, only to come back a few minutes later because Florentin, who had been heavily intoxicated before, has now fallen unconscious. A desperate Basti demands that Sal ask Raina to replace Florentin and help them. Sal is reluctant at first, but finally does what Basti asked. He tells Raina that Basti had been under the protection of gangster Arno while he was in prison and now Arno demands that Basti pays him back for his services. For this, Arno has asked Basti to get three allies and bring them to a meeting with him this night. None of the four men knows the purpose of the meeting. To Sal’s surprise, Raina immediately agrees to help. She drives Sal, Basti, Benny and Florentin (who is lying in the back of the car) to the meeting place, a parking garage where Arno is waiting with several armed men. He demands that the four rob a certain bank this morning for €50,000. Andi will take €10,000 as payback and leave the rest of the money to them. The four agree to the robbery after Arno threatens to take Raina hostage if they refuse. They are armed with guns, given a plan of the bank and then forced to take drugs to make them more alert and aggressive.
While Raina is driving to the bank, Benny has a panic attack, but the others eventually calm him down. Feeling guilty about involving Raina and causing his friend's panic attack, Basti says he will rob the bank alone, but the others, including Raina, tell him that they will still help. The robbery itself goes smoothly, even though Raina stalls the car in front of the bank while the others are inside. After leaving the car in a back alley, the four, euphoric after the success of the robbery and still under the influence of the drugs, return to the club to celebrate. While Sal and Raina are kissing, Basti and Benny in their excitement strip naked on the dance floor, leading to all four being thrown out of the club. Outside, they remember that they have left the unconscious Florentin back in the car. When they return to the back alley, they see that the police have already found the car. Panicking, they leave the scene but are noticed by plainclothes police officers. Basti, Benny and Sal draw their guns and all four run away. A shootout ensues during which Benny is hit and left behind by the other three. Basti implores Sal and Raina to take the money and flee while he confronts the police. Sal and Raina flee to find safety and Basti is shot at by police.
Sal and Raina manage to enter an apartment building unseen, and take a young couple hostage in one of the apartments. When they notice that the couple has a baby, they change clothes, take the baby with them and leave the apartment, under the desperate cries of the mother. When encountered by the police, they manage to give the impression that they are a young family and are allowed to leave the building.
They leave the baby in front of a café across the street and hail a taxi which brings them to a hotel nearby. There, Raina reserves a room while Sal waits, writhing in great pain. On the way to their room, Raina notices that Sal has been shot. Lying down on the hotel bed, she watches the news, learning that Basti died during the shootout, and Blinker died while being taken to the hospital. Raina then notices that Sal is bleeding profusely from his wound and calls an ambulance. While they are waiting for it to arrive, Sal dies holding Raina’s hands and she breaks down crying. After pulling herself together, she notices the money on the floor, picks it up, walks out of the hotel and is seen walking down the street where the take ends.
Cast
- Karoline Redler as Raina
- Lennard Backer as Sal
- Marc Neumayer as Basti
- Leo Lustenberger as Florentin
- Malte Heuser as Benny
- Kay Friesinger as Arno