Scharf aufs Leben (2000)

After 30 years of marriage, 55-year-old Solveigh Kronberg divorces her husband, Rudolph. Their son David is already grown up and an up-and-coming pianist. To earn a living, Solveigh takes a job as a waitress at a bistro in Frankfurt. She is actually content with her life, though now and then she still wonders whether this is all there is. One day, photographer Mike Bergengruen notices Solveigh, who is still attractive; soon after, Magnus Nadolny, the head of an advertising agency, does too. Both are looking for a mature woman with charisma for a new advertising campaign for an Italian fashion brand. After Magnus persuades her to accept his lucrative offer—which she initially thought was a joke—Solveigh’s career as a model takes off immediately. One photo shoot follows another, and her face appears on numerous magazine covers. She also begins an affair with Magnus, who is fascinated by Solveigh’s timeless charm, much to the displeasure of his actual partner, stylist Saskia. Before long, however, Solveigh realizes that she does not belong in the make-believe world of modeling and that she has found a more suitable life partner in the older Mike.