Raunchy, awkward, over-the-top and fun, Klown will please many fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Louie. It’s a more absurd, bawdy version of Sideways—without the wine—that goes for more out-and-out laughs than heartfelt drama.
Middle-aged friends Frank and Casper couldn’t be more different. Frank is clueless, nebbish-looking and hopelessly awkward. Casper is stylish, charming and completely sex-crazed. They’re an odd couple who have booked a road trip to escape their girlfriends to attend a world-class sex party—or as Casper calls it, “Tour de Pussy.” Plans are seriously derailed when Frank discovers his girlfriend is pregnant and is then accused by her of being incapable of parenting. In a desperate attempt to prove he can take care of a child, he kidnaps her 13-year-old nephew and takes him on the road trip. One thing goes wrong after another as Casper doggedly pursues sex with anything that moves and Frank incompetently tries to take care of the boy.
The set-up seems familiar enough—an uptight guy and a vulgar one are forced to spend time with each other, and comedy ensues. What sets Klown apart is the length to which it goes to get laughs—the extremely awkward situations that are better left undescribed and simply seen. (The slideshow at a party at the end of the film will stick in your memory despite your best efforts.) Smaller moments are equally hilarious, including a scene where Frank and Caspar share a bed with a woman they’re staying with and several scenes where Casper uses a manipulative technique he calls “man flirting,” which involves flattering a man while putting his hand on the man’s wrist to show dominance.
It’s territory that Larry David mines expertly, and while Frank and Casper may not be nearly as neurotic, they know how to amp up socially uncomfortable situations to comedic advantage. It’s not hard to see why Danny McBride (Your Highness) and Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Road Trip) were attracted to the material and plan a U.S. remake. It’s a bit harder to see how they’ll tame down the material for American consumption. See the unadulterated original now.
Director: Mikkel Nørgaard
Writers: Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam
Starring: Frank Hvam, Casper Christensen, Marcuz Jess Petersen, Mia Lyhne, Iben Hjejle, Lars Hjortshøj, Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, Jørgen Leth, Mads Brügger
Release Date: July 27, 2012 (Theater & VOD)