"Klown" : Filthy Danish Lessons in Fatherhood

When thinking of foreign cinema, specially European, and specifically Danish films, the first thought that comes to mind is something subversive, abstract, of the realms of art houses. It is hard to, on primary intuition, assume that the most successful film from Denmark in the past year was not a festival revelation from Lars Von Trier, or any other of the Dogma 95 rebels in their current not so rebellious form. Nevertheless, such film keeps up with the tradition of other Danish films such as "The Celebration", or Von Trier's "The Idiots", to present this hyper-realism involving shocking and revealing subjects. In this case the shock value comes from outrageous comedy, explicit sexuality in all its forms, and mean spirited (yet guiltily funny) treatment towards children. This over the top, raunchy comedy explores fatherhood, and manhood in general, in such a crude way that its hard to think there is sensitive subtleties in it, but they are there. This is what the film "Klown" is about.

 Inspired on a successful Danish TV series of the same name, in which even Von Trier himself took part, "Klown" tells the story of Frank (Frank Hvam) and his search for "father potential" that his girlfriend seeks in him. Frank is a man in his 30's that still seems to be hostage of his adolescent mentality, and who hasn't fully discover what adulthood, much less fatherhood means to him. His friend Casper (Casper Christensen) is a married , yet adulterous, cheating sleazebag who is determined to enjoy a trip to the countryside to which he often refers to as "The Tour the P***y". When Frank is forced to take care of his young nephew Bo (Marcuz Jess Petersen) , he fails miserably at first, with this, disappointing his pregnant girlfriend. In order to fix things and prove he can be a dad, Frank decides to take Bo along for his trip with Casper. Two selfish, drunk, and sexually deviant  men trying to take care of a child in the wild, sound like fertile ground for all sorts of raunchy and absurd situations. Along the way, they do encounter overly welcoming help from females, and a paradise for drug use and sexual pleasures. The jokes here usually involved some sort of ridicule of the male genitalia or the photographic evidence of an out of control night. Yet, under the filthy haze of all this, there is certain vulnerability in Frank and his father-like relationship with Bo.

The film shows a very twisted, but surprisingly charming depiction of male bonding. How this friends, or even Frank and Bo can be totally cruel to each other, but when it counts, they are there for each other. The punchlines have the much expected shock value, and grossness factor. However, they do seem to be too far apart and sort of repetitive. However, the style of filmmaking really sets this film apart from sexually charged American comedies. In "Klown" the situations are never to far off from reality for us not to believe they can happen, and the way the camera involves the audience in the film provides with a more fluid and organic way to engage in the comedy. Frank Hvam has this amazing quality to seem oblivious and naive towards his own disgusting acts and failures, he never seems to be this idiotic by choice. On the contrary, Frank is portrayed as someone kind who perhaps never really got the chance to learn how to be a father or a god man, but he is trying. To make such a distasteful character into someone likable is the films greatest achievement.

I understand that Danish comedy is not on most people's list when it comes to have a goo laugh, but "Klown" will deliver. It will give the audience the disturbing and scatological stuff they crave, but it will deliver such jokes wrapped with a touching story of fatherhood and friendship, even when it turns completely bizarre. As mentioned earlier, the film is not perfect and at times it drags a bit, but overall it is a more thoughtful bachelor comedy (if thoughtful and bachelor can mix) than most. This Danish filthy, guilty pleasure will provide with some awkward laughs right down to the final sequence. Directed by Mikkel Norgaard, the Scandinavian comedy hit "Klown" is out today in Blu-ray/DVD for the American audience to rejoice in its primal and despicable macho hilarity. Grade B+