Elyas M’Barek is best known for Fack ju Göhte and Türkisch für Anfänger. Three years ago he proved that he can do much more than that in a Netflix film.
Since the gigantic success of the Fack ju Göhte films at the latest, Elyas M’Barek has been one of the biggest names in German cinema. As the impossible yet likeable substitute teacher Zeki Müller, he attracted an audience of millions to the local cinemas, so much so that a spin-off of the series is now even in the works.
However,
M’Barek is not only convincing in mainstream comedies, but has also ventured into serious roles in recent years, for example in Der Fall Collini. Unfortunately, one of his best performances has already been forgotten: in 2020 he stunned in the Austrian Netflix film Was wir wollten.
Was wir wollten with Elyas M’Barek: The complete opposite of Fack ju Göhte on Netflix
Was wir wollten tells the story of a couple who seem very happy at first glance. The truth, however, is different: Niklas (Elyas M’Barek) and Alice (Lavinia Wilson) are troubled by an unfulfilled desire to have children. They have tried artistic insemination four times. Each time they have failed.
Here you can watch the trailer for What We Wanted:
A holiday in Sardinia is supposed to bring them a new perspective on their lives. But then everything gets even worse: of all things, a happy young family with two children finds itself in the holiday home next door. The already strained relationship between Niklas and Alice is put to its hardest test.
We have never seen Elyas M’Barek so fragile and powerful in another film
Director Ulrike Kofler directs What We Wanted as a quiet, thoughtful drama that gives us plenty of time to explore the characters’ feelings. For Elias M’Barek, this is the perfect opportunity to show a side of his acting that we rarely get to see in films like Nightlife, Love Thing and Co.
In Was wir wollten, M’Barek swaps the sarcasm of Zeki Müller, with which every weakness can be covered up, for a touching vulnerability. His acting is just as restrained as the film is staged. Much is told through looks that we really have to look at to understand.
Unlike The Collini Case, where a larger story always resonates meaningfully in the background, What We Wanted relies solely on the characters. Without any emotion on display, the desperation that pulses deep inside Nikolas becomes tangible, until it comes out in devastating moments.
