“What's in a name?” Shakespeare's lofty question takes on new life in this savage comedy — a breakout hit in Germany — which raucously lampoons contemporary German attitudes, guilt, and denials of the Nazi past. When Thomas, the black sheep of a progressive middle-class academic family, surprises his siblings with the news that he intends to name his son Adolf, petty carnage ensues as personal, ideological, and sexual histories are unmasked in this scintillating dark comedy. A breakout German box office hit, this send-up of social respectability and appearances shows as much of an awareness of Germany's current shifting political landscape and reactionary views as it does an understanding of the tense interpersonal dynamics between siblings and in-laws. With a marvelous screenplay that is biting and quick, How About Adolf? is an enjoyable excursion into bourgeois infighting and mayhem. At this dinner table, sociability starts out as just a smile, and a smile is just teeth.

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The Miami Jewish Film Festival virtual program is made possible with the generous support of Benjamin Nahum and Tamar Roodner.