Film Shapes

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...