One has to admire films that manage to find the humour in even the most serious of situations, since they tend to be amongst the most well-composed, meaningful projects, subversive where it matters and insightful where we may not expect it to be. This is very true for Risks and Side Effects (German: Risiken & Nebenwirkungen), the hilarious and irreverent comedy directed by Michael Kreihsl, adapting the play of the same title by Stefan Vögel (who collaborated with the director in writing the screenplay), which tells the story of a middle-aged couple (Samuel Finzi and Inka Friedrich), who undergo quite a challenging experience when one of them is diagnosed with a rare disease, and urgently needs a kidney transplant – and as luck would have it, the perfect candidate to help is the very person with whom they have committed to spend the rest of their lives. However, it becomes increasingly clear that you can’t really give something away that you’re not really intent on offering in the first place – and when you’re dealing with such sensitive matters, there is very little time to wait around for the problems to resolve themselves. A brutal and funny comedy that finds the humanity in the trials and tribulations of a truly motley crew of characters, Risks and Side Effects is absolutely fantastic, a strongly-written tale of a marriage undergoing an unexpected set of challenges, and the various other peripheral obstacles that they face in the process of resolving their internal issues, all beautifully explored by a group of actors who engage with the fascinating premise and help this film emerge as an unforgettable little comedy about life and death, and the inconveniences that occur in between.

It’s not particularly easy to look at a film like Risks and Side Effects and understand the appeal, since at its heart, this is an extremely bleak story of survival, as filtered through the lens of an upbeat and hilarious comedy. Rooted deeply within the world of theatre, from which this story was initially constructed and workshopped (turning it into the flawlessly simple, streamlined comedy that knows exactly how to approach the challenging subject matter), there was a lot of work done to bring this story to life, and credit must be given to absolutely everyone involved in the creation of this film, since making a comedy about such sensitive matters is by no means an easy feat, but it is easily accomplishable, granted there is some degree of dedication coming from all sides. The adaptation is a strong effort, with the translation from stage to screen seeming quite flawless, at least in terms of how the roots of the story aren’t clear from the outset, Kreihsl opening up the world and allowing the narrative to work through a number of different locations, and the characters that occupy that particular space. What is most interesting about Risks and Side Effects is how nothing about the film is traditionally funny – the two major themes (marital strife and life-threatening illnesses) are extremely serious, and would normally be the subject of some of the most challenging and upsetting stories imaginable. Yet, there is always something so deeply moving about the comedy,a  kind of heightened absurdity that doesn’t rob the film of its message, but rather creates a situation where we can laugh at matters that aren’t always particularly funny, a careful choice that benefits the film and helps make it such a charming and effervescent comedy that isn’t afraid to add levity to situations where we might not expect to find it.

Risks and Side Effects is anchored by a couple of really strong performances on behalf of the aforementioned Samuel Finzi and Inka Friedrich, who do impeccable work as the central duo at the heart of the film. It is constantly in pursuit of some deeper meaning through looking at these characters, who are not particularly likeable nor all that interesting in traditional terms, and repurposing them to be the most rivetting protagonists. This film was already flirting with danger in terms of being a comedy about near-death experiences (albeit where it is really about the experience of avoiding death and the circumstances that surround it, rather than the even itself), so to have such unlikeable characters at the core, and still make us entirely invested in their journey, is an enormous achievement and something worth noting. Finzi is the epitome of pathetic – he’s a hedonistic, self-centred egomaniac with serious problems accepting criticism, and who is placed in a precarious position when he is asked to donate a kidney to his wife. In turn, Friedrich makes a worthy adversary – her character has a series of insecurities and flaws herself, which leads her to act erratically, much of the film’s humour coming from these two characters and their hopelessly pathetic approach to resolving an issue that would normally be difficult enough to overcome, making their constant back-and-forth about making a simple but life-changing decision all the more funny. Without these spirited performances, it’s not likely that Risks and Side Effects would’ve been all that effective – the humour is constantly shifting, so it’s up to the actors to help streamline the story into a form that is easily adaptable to the changing tone of the film.

When it comes to vitally important matters, we often see the most impactful stories are those that are done under the guise of comedy – and as we see throughout Risks and Side Effects, there is a clear message being conveyed here. The main character’s selfish fears of donating his kidney to his own wife are never justified, and instead function as the root of the outrageous comedy, since it goes against the principle that we’d expect to come from such a story, where a more conventional film would not even debate the issue (and had the protagonist agreed from the outset, this would’ve been an immensely short film). Yet, through framing it as an irreverent comedy of manners, the director and his collaborators manage to say more about the hot-button issue of organ donation than even the most intense medical drama. Comedy mainly serves to entertain, but as we see quite often, there are many instances of more profound messages trickling through the cracks. Audiences may not remember the medical jargon or abundance of statistics that are peppered throughout this film, with our attention instead being drawn to the more entertaining aspects of the story – and in the process, the film manages to infuse a deeply moving message about a number of different ideas, delivering it in such a way that the viewer may not even realize that we’re in contact with something of an educational experience. This is a common practice that many works of art tend to use, and the most effective are those that don’t draw attention to the deeper meaning, but rather allow it to work alongside the more upbeat, traditionally enjoyable aspects of the film, yet another reason to the wonderfully subversive nature of this film.

Risks and Side Effects is an extremely charming, upbeat film that just so happens to be about someone potentially dying as a result of not being able to find a suitable organ donor. These kinds of stories are important, since they reveal a very real struggle many have to endure (so it’s likely adding a new level of representation to the cinematic landscape), and through taking an approach rooted in the more comedic side of the story, the director is able to carefully pull apart the layers of social commentary and reveal the deeper meaning beneath the humour. The film is a lot of fun, but it carries a lot of weight, which only makes it all the more fascinating, since the oscillation between the more serious subject matter, and the often intentionally goofy execution, makes for an enticing and entertaining film. It can sometimes be understandably blasé, and it often feels like it is struggling to find an exact direction (especially when choosing a particular narrative avenue to pursue – the marriage storyline seems to be actively trying to overtake the prominent storyline centring on the medical challenges faced by the couple), but these are minor squabbles in an otherwise polished and charming comedy. As a whole, Risks and Side Effects is a lovable film, a sweet and sentimental comedy about serious matters which proves that laughter truly can be the best medicine – except when you’re trying to convince your hesitant husband to donate a kidney to save your life, which is probably more of a concern.