SCRAMBLED BEER (CHILE)

Vladimir, a fun-seeking slacker who gets serially evicted from apartments, runs into Jorge, a high school classmate he hasn't seen in years. Jorge is a neurotic nerd with a hot girlfriend who works at a chemical lab. He needs a roommate so he invites Vladimir to move in. When Vladimir agrees, one expects Scrambled Beer to turn into a new version of The Odd Couple. Then Vladimir begins to experience severe time disorientation, waking up a week ahead or behind actual time. This could develop into a type of metaphysical comedy like Groundhog Day, I thought, or a time-travel fantasy. Once Scrambled Beer becomes a dark comedy about murder, it became obvious I was watching something derivative and uninspired. It's seemingly aimed at a young crowd who hasn't seen excellent examples of the genre like Eating Raoul, The War of the Roses and Serial Mom.

The title refers to a drink made by mixing malt beer, sugar and one raw egg that Jorge shares with his friend. Scrambled Beer was co-written and directed by Cristobal Valderrama, making his filmmaking debut. Given the stereotypical, superficial characters, it's no surprise to learn that he is a former cartoonist. It's possible I imagine to take these characters, which also include one appropriately and simply described by the director as "a goth freak", and make something fresh out of it. But the Santiago, Chile setting is not enough to put a new spin on a stale, recycled narrative.