One for the Road

One for the Road is an Apfel Schnapps tale with a Kornbrand edge to it. Mark (Frederick Lau) is a Berlin construction manager and a high-functioning alcoholic. One night, he's rumbled by the cops as he's re-parking his car, pissed out of his head. Forced to undertake an alcohol awareness course, he initially bridles at the suggestion of having a 'problem' but soon begins to see what most others see - a bloke afflicted.

Helena (Nora Tschirner) is also on the course, with similar problems but more resignation as to her plight. The two of them make a pact to try to support each other as they attempt to dry out. And, of course, things don't go so smoothly. An earlier bet with his mate, Nadim (Burak Yigit), ends in a chance meeting with a group of guys dressed as beer bottles on a buck's night (see below).

This veers quite close to preachiness in its, admittedly sensible, take on alcohol consumption but the performances do a lot to compensate. Lau is fantastic - the dude has a chameleon face - Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Chris Pratt, even Frank Lampard at an odd angle. He has the perfect look for the role - confident, twitchy, sad and surprised - all at once. Tschirner is equal to him, her quiet, almost fatalistic repose can turn into fearsome rage in a second. And their course facilitator, Dr. Blau (a great turn by Godehard Giese) is incredibly off-putting, though ultimately helpful. 

The film doesn't break any boundaries but it has a lot of charm and the Berlin setting is a cool plus point. There are a few awkward moments, and the viewer is very much seeing the action through sober, disapproving eyes, but the climax is a well-deserved redemption of sorts.

One for the Road is screening as part of the HSBC German Film Festival from May 7 to June 5 around Australia - May 16 to June 5 in Perth at Palace and Luna cinemas.

See also:

This has elements of Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996), as well as Jean-Jacques Beineix's Betty Blue (1986).