The plot set-up is built for a broad, comic romp. Henry Hübchen plays Zucker, whose life has been in East Germany. Once a celebrity sportscaster, he is now a wheeler-dealer and a pool hustler, but his luck has run out. His exasperated wife wants to leave him. He is deep in debt and headed for jail if he can’t turn things around. Word comes that his mother has died, and his estranged Orthodox brother who went to the West is arriving with his family.

Not only must Zucker pretend to be religious but the terms of his mother’s will are that in order to share a promised inheritance, the hostile brothers must reunite. Zucker, ever the con man, has to play the game and find a way to enter a potentially lucrative pool tournament at the same time. He is incredibly resourceful.

Some may be uncomfortable with a few stereotypes. For example, Zucker’s brother, colorfully played by Udo Samel, has a gross looking wife. There is also a scene when the Orthodox brother gets high and is momentarily smitten by a sexy Palestinian. But the comedy is so broad that one can accept everything in the spirit of the satirical fun that generates the entire film. After all, it’s a comedy, not a drama, although various points concerning human behavior are made amid the exuberant and ultimately warm humor.

Some aspects concerning Germany’s East-West situation may be more apparent at home than to American audiences, but they are nonetheless interesting and undoubtedly contributed to the film’s success.