Teddy Bear Analysis

The film Teddy Bear revolves around a Danish bodybuilder named Dennis and his pursuit to find a fulfilling relationship with a woman. Throughout his life, either due to his oppressive mother or crippling shyness, Dennis has never been able to connect with a woman and engage in a thriving romantic relationship. As a 38 year old man, Dennis becomes frustrated with his situation and decides to follow in the footsteps of a family member and travel to Thailand, where he has been told it is easier to talk to women. However, Dennis does not appear to initially understand that this is because the legal status of prostitution in Thailand and the resulting massive sex tourism industry. While researching the film, I discovered that it is known as 10 timer til Paradis, or Ten Hours to Paradise, in Danish. I could not find why the title was changed to Teddy Bear in English, but I do think that both titles do a fine job of encapsulating the film. Dennis himself can be seen as a gentle giant with childlike characteristics, like a teddy bear, while he travels ten hours to Thailand in what he hopes will be a paradise where he can find a romantic partner. The film explores sex tourism, the importance of healthy relationships, and how relationships can change once people have a better understanding of themselves and the wider world through travelling. In the film, Dennis has an extremely toxic relationship with his mother, who does everything from grant him little privacy, abusively guilt