Reviews & Ratings for
Copenhagen (2014)

When Richard Linklater made Before Sunrise, he set forth the blueprint for fleeting tales of love set in stunning, exotic cities. It's a rough base for many films that have come since such as Cairo Time and Certified Copy - notwithstanding the two later installments to the 'Before' trilogy itself.

On the surface, Copenhagen seems like it continues in the same vein.

It involves two individuals exploring a city that happens to have transformed into a dreamscape tailor-made for the two, and there's a budding romance between the leads that is hampered by some facet holding them back from pursuing the inevitable.

You may think you know what to expect from Mark Raso's Copenhagen, but you don't.

For starters the lead - William, is quite possibly one of cinema's least likable leading men. He's in the city with his best friend Jeremy on the last leg of their trans-European trip. Copenhagen also happens to hold a special place for William as he's trying to track down his grandfather he'd never met. He has an envelope written by his father in Danish that he wants to deliver to his grandfather.

However when Jeremy's girlfriend comes along for the Copenhagen leg, William throws a fit. He is in all respects a man-child - someone who believes the world belongs to him and is entitled to what he wants. He's a petulant, selfish, impatient man who makes life hell for his best friend and his girlfriend.

When they've had enough of his antics, they leave - leaving William all to himself in this alien land to try and locate his grandfather. Well out of his depth, William meets Effy - a waitress at a restaurant he's at. Upon knowing the reason behind his visit, Effy agrees to help William and thus begins the uneasy romance between the two.

I say uneasy because Effy is a girl. Quite literally. She's about half William's age and is still in school.

The movie doesn't shy away from this fact. It revels in it. This is where this movie differentiates between other such similar meet-cute movies. There's an uneasy tension to it all - something you know shouldn't develop but when you can see it developing, you don't shy away. It draws you in.This uncomfortable romantic climate is what makes this movie so unique.

You could say that this girl and this boyish man are a great couple on the surface - they're both temperamentally similar. However that changes as the film goes on - the brash, infantile William starts to change - he starts becoming accountable for his actions. He doesn't lash out at whoever he sees. He understands why his father was never there for him and let's go of all the resentment held towards him. He doesn't seem all so entitled anymore. Simply put - he starts growing up.

This is great for him but heartbreaking for Effy as this brings any hope to a budding romance between the two to a halt.

What the film does do very well is transform Copenhagen into a city brimming with life - a city primed for adventure. It doubles up as a supporting feature for the film with Tivoli's bright gardens combining well with Copenhagen's seedy nightlife to provide the perfect setting for William's and Effy's story. However the most poignant scene in the film is reserved for the end - away from the city, in what can only be described as both a metaphorical and literal coalescence.

The film is a wonderfully complex look at life and love itself. It doesn't shy away from the many fuzzy boundaries that most films would like to gloss over. Copenhagen is a study on personal growth and how quite often it has to stem from within us - and while some people may come in and share in the experiences that stimulate that growth - it's still all dependent on ourselves.


3.5/5