Something rotten?: What's wrong with Copenhagen

I watched Copenhagen to get some views of the beautiful city that we recently visited and I wasn't disappointed - in the views. The movie was something else. To me, it seemed like a tepid attempt to capture some of the mood and esprit of Linklater's Before Sunrise series, perhaps mixed with a touch of Jules and Jim (threesomes never work out) - but in my view entirely devoid of the charm and wit that made those films such touchstones. In Copenhagen, two American guys in their late-20s are touring Europe, and the girlfriend of one accompanies them, leading to predictable if uninteresting tensions - doesn't take long for the solo guy to break off and head to C., which as we gradually learn was the purpose for this journey: he has a letter that his late and unbeloved father has written to his father (character's grandfather, whom character has never met or known) that needs to be delivered in person. Our guy meets a girl - cue up "cute meet" - as the waitress spills coffee in his lap - and soon guy and girl are off on a completely movie-like follow-the-clues hunt to track down grandfather. The catch, as guy learns about half-way through the movie but was obvious to me from the start, that the girl is only 14 years old. Ultimately, he shows some more chops by resisting her desire, and his, that he sleep with her, and movie ends with his visit to grandfather - let the old bastard know what a scum he is (he's an ex Nazi, just so you know), boy alone on beach where North Sea and the Atlantic meet - symbolism! - and girl in her middle-school class mooning over snapshots they'd taken on their jaunt. Do you see a sequel coming? All this would be a better movie if the protagonist were in any way likable, but he's scripted and played as the essence of the obnoxious American tourist and the hedonistic 20-something (we know absolutely nothing of his background or home life) who laces just about every sentence with obscenities or vulgarisms. Is that the only way a screenwriter can make his characters sound strong, authentic? Can't we have at least a moment of reflection, insight, wit, or original thought?