Raunchy comedy isn’t just for Americans

Foreign films are sometimes hard to jump into with both feet. There’s a stigma with the masses fearing subtitles. I find that a great many people don’t want to read a movie and the only other option is dubbed dialogue. If done right, dubbing can be nearly flawless. Far too often it’s abysmal. Another hurdle is the perceived overly artsy content of some of the more popular foreign films. Fans of “Transformers” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin” are probably not going to want to sink their teeth into Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Three Colors” trilogy.

2010’s Danish language “Klown” challenges these notions with furious and reckless abandon. It’s an unintentional fight against the misperceived idea of the stuffy foreign film. Nonetheless as I watched this raunchy and thoroughly ridiculous comedy the these thoughts were at the forefront of my mind.

“Klown” is the story of dimwitted Frank, his misogynistic friend Casper, and 12-year old nephew, Bo. The trio gather together under less than ideal circumstances and embark on a canoe vacation down a picturesque Danish river. 

At it’s core, “Klown” follows the well-travelled tradition of road trip comedies. Frank is a bumbling buffoon. He accepts everything at a sort of bizarre face-value. Casper, conversely is a shark of a man. He’s slick and knows all the tricks to get what he wants out of life. Casper seems to keep Frank around as a friend simply for amusement. When Frank’s girlfriend reveals she’s pregnant he figures he’s got to step up and prove he can be a great father. His course of action is to kidnap his nephew and drag him along with Casper on their already planned weekend of debauchery camping trip. I don’t want to give any more details away about why things happen in the film the way they do. Revealing virtually anything about the story and the almost implausible reasons things happen in this intentional comedic travesty would just ruin the jaw-dropping surprises.

As the film progresses we don’t get the feeling that Frank learns anything really. Casper certainly does not grow as a person. We do see that Frank is an earnest and caring fellow, however. His intentions seem to eventually fall into the right place. It’s his way of getting there that is so hilariously questionable if not endeering.

That being said, the film treads on ridiculously crude subject matter. Though it’s a road trip movie with a 12-year old as a major character it’s certainly not acceptable for younger audiences.

In the states we’ve been treated to an ever increasing onslaught of gross-out-humor that’s in your face and crudely hysterical. But “Klown” reveals it’s childish heart subtly under the American viewer’s radar. What sets this Danish film apart is its almost reality TV like cinematography and the casual yet super believable actions of Frank and Casper. Many times during the film I felt I was watching a documentary about some really, horribly misbehaved and hilariously stupid people.

It’s difficult to judge the performance of the actors. Frank (Frank Hvam) and Casper (Casper Christensen) are unknown to me. I’m not sure what kind of career or reputation they have in Denmark. They do seem utterly believable though. Perhaps some comic timing isn’t quite as easily perceived as the subtitles kind of unavoidably create a separation. Ultimately their anonymity works in the film’s favor as we don’t expect the levels of depravity they’ll stoop to. If this were an American film, I could picture Vince Vaughn as Casper and maybe John C. Riley as Frank. But the casting alone of an American version would just give a little too much away. “Klown” really shines in the unexpected breaking of conventions and shatters the foreign film mistyque. The film is available on Netflix instant streaming and though “Klown” is not for the faint of heart, it’s a worthwhile comedy that just might change your mind about foreign films.

Klown (2010)

Director: Mikkel Nørgaard

-->

Three out of five collectable bottle caps.

Starring: Frank Hvam, Casper Christensen and Marcuz Jess Petersen.

Runtime: 89 minutes

Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some drug use.