Zu schön für mich (2007)

Karin is in her late thirties, works in a factory that makes globes, and sings in a band with a few friends and coworkers. She is a single mother to twelve-year-old Meike and four-year-old Paul. She has had rather bad experiences with men: her children have different fathers, and neither relationship lasted long. For Karin’s fortieth birthday, her friends place a personal ad on her behalf and hand her the replies. After hesitating at first, she eventually meets Andreas, who wrote the least informative reply. They do grow closer, and more dates follow. Andreas is very attractive and considerably younger than Karin, which repeatedly makes her doubt herself in the time that follows. But he doesn’t tell her that he is serving a prison sentence and can meet her only while on leave from prison. In fact, he is just looking for somewhere temporary to stay while passing through on his way to Mexico. But he doesn’t need to spell that out to Karin. On an outing, the couple happens to run into a priest who also ministers to inmates at the prison. This leads the priest to discover that Andreas is not using his leave, as agreed, to look for work for after his imminent release. Karin learns the truth about Andreas from her boss, who is also attracted to her and makes sure she knows it. She then visits Andreas in prison and ends the relationship. He assures her, however, that he loves her and asks her to give him a chance. Through the pastor’s intervention, they reconcile a little later. Karin introduces Andreas to her children and learns that he was recently released and now hopes to live with her. At first, she refuses, partly because her daughter strongly dislikes Andreas, just as she has disliked all of Karin’s previous male acquaintances. Little Paul, on the other hand, takes to Andreas immediately, and they all agree on a compromise: Andreas may stay until Meike returns from a training camp in two weeks. Andreas tells Karin of his dream of going to Mexico and working at a friend’s diving school.