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We Used to Be Cool

We Used to Be Cool

2016

Director

Marie Kreutzer

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Three couples in Vienna have children at around the same time. They're all in their mid-30s, successful, cool and live in a popular part of town. As idealistic as they are materialistic, they grow tomatoes on the balcony, drink locally roasted coffee and expensive cocktails and would never buy an electronic device sporting a half-eaten apple. And they're absolutely certain that you can have children without becoming bourgeois. But the reality tells a different story. Between career and kindergarten, Apple and alternative lifestyles, the satire plays cleverly with hipster clichés and mercilessly points up the gap between the old self-image and the new bourgeoisie.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.1/10

Fair

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The film explores identity fluidity through adolescent and young adult development. It integrates non-heteronormative dynamics naturally, avoiding heavy-handed tropes to challenge traditional structures.

Gender Representation

Good

Female agency and emotional complexity are central to the narrative. The film subverts traditional hierarchies by focusing on the intellectual and internal lives of its women.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The cast is predominantly white and European, reflecting its specific Viennese setting. This focus on the Austrian middle class results in a very homogeneous visual landscape.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The satire brilliantly deconstructs modern consumerism and performative lifestyles. It examines the tension between individual freedom and the social obligations of the middle class.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no significant evidence regarding the portrayal of visible or invisible disabilities within the narrative.

Strengths

  • Sophisticated portrayal of female agency and emotional depth.
  • Nuanced integration of non-heteronormative identities and fluid attractions.
  • Sharp, effective satire of modern consumerism and social signaling.

Areas for Improvement

  • Significant lack of racial and ethnic diversity within the cast.
  • Homogeneous visual landscape due to a narrow focus on European middle-class life.
  • Absence of representation regarding visible or invisible disabilities.

AI Analysis

Marie Kreutzer’s satire offers a sophisticated look at the disintegration of identity within the modern bourgeoisie. The film succeeds by prioritizing complex gender dynamics and a sharp critique of consumerist social signaling. However, the film is limited by a lack of racial and ethnic intersectionality. The focus remains strictly on the cultural nuances of the white Austrian urban middle class. Ultimately, the work trades broad demographic representation for deep sociological insight into class and lifestyle-driven identity.

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