Review of Whiskey with Vodka

This is an offbeat and gentle comedy about the politics and backstage, behind the scenes chaos of making a movie. Whisky With Vodka explores familiar territory that has been explored numerous times before. Henry Hubchen plays Otto, an aging, narcissistic, insecure and alcoholic actor who is making what may well be his last movie because of his reputation for on set shenanigans and unreliability. The film's director Martin (Sylvester Groth) grows increasingly exasperated by his star's antics and improvisations that continually ruin each take. The producers of the film don't trust Otto either, and have hired a younger understudy to shoot alternate scenes as a backup. The rivalry between the two as they try to upstage one another adds to some of the subtle pleasures of this diverting little film. There's also plenty of bed-hopping, and the off screen antics of the actors parallel that of Tango For Three, the fictitious movie they are making. This is the second collaboration between prolific German director Andreas Dresen (Summer In Berlin, etc) and writer Wolfgang Kohlhasse. Dresen aims for a jaunty mood here, but his direction is a little laboured at times. We've seen this kind of back-handed slap in the face for the film industry before, and while it is reminiscent of the classic Day For Night, Whisky With Vodka adds little that is particularly new or original to the sub-genre