Review: Will characters in ‘Copenhagen’ come of age?

film, movie, review, Copenhagen, Gethin Anthony, Sebastian Armesto, Olivia Grant, Frederikke Dahl Hansen, Mark Raso

In “Copenhagen,” promiscuous and foul-mouthed millennial William (Gethin Anthony) arrives in the titular city to hand-deliver a letter from his late father to William’s grandfather, whom he’s never met.

William’s egocentricity and obnoxiousness quickly wear thin on his two travel companions, Jeremy (Sebastian Armesto) and Jennifer (Olivia Grant), who promptly ditch him to go to London and get hitched.

Handicapped by a language barrier, William enlists the help of waitress Effy (Frederikke Dahl Hansen), 14, whom he meets when she accidentally spills coffee on the precious letter. They embark on a genealogical expedition, complete with stops at tourist attractions to re-create his father’s childhood photos.

Reared in the absence of a father, Effy seems a lot more invested in William’s quest than he is. We learn that abandonment is a running theme in William’s family: His grandfather was a Nazi who vanished after the war; William’s father similarly walked out when William was a teen.

It’s not this journey with Effy that could transform William into a responsible adult. Rather, it’s the self-discipline required to refrain from taking advantage of a vulnerable girl, even when she’s throwing herself at him. The will-he-or-won’t-he question becomes the focus of director Mark Raso’s film, and how William responds under the mercy of Effy’s whims ultimately determines whether he can emerge from his self-absorption at long last.

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‘Copenhagen’

No MPAA rating

Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Noho 7, North Hollywood; also on VOD