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Reviews
Når Sandet Står Stille (2023)
Beautiful film
A very beautiful movie about the sand, the sea, a lighthouse and Kjeld who moved the lighthouse before it was eaten by the sea.
The images are very beautiful, they alone is reason enough to watch the movie. To hear Kjelds thoughts about the place, time, the lighthouse, doing what is impossible, and the way of working when nothing needs to be written, but you trust one another, is an additional bonus.
That way, the movie becomes a movie about a man, a bricklayer, who for a short period became famous, but really just wanted to do his job and move the lighthouse. And a portrait of a common man from a remote part of Denmark.
So, go and watch it. Not because you learn how to move a lighthouse. But to learn about beauty and the men who did it.
World on Fire (2019)
Love and war
Another war story, mixed with love and other mess. The Poland angle is somewhat new, and as a Dane I also got new details on how the WW II to is view from Brittan.
It is quite enjoyable, but there is too many things that does not make sense, things they do that I can't understand and they don't even try to explain. There is too many sentences said, that might have worked on paper, but which is simply too huge to say in real life
The scenery is obvious cheap, and often the CGI is that bad that it steals the attention from what should have focus. Most actors do it well, few stands out, but Zofia Wichlacz does. Jonah Hauer-King is far to much pretty-boy-with-pain-in-his eyes to fit the role.
Maudie (2016)
Unexpected wonderful
I came completely unprepared into this movie, I don't think that I have ever heard anything about it, but Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke made me curious. And I was immediately blown away. Not the pace is high or we are witness to a scenery of historical dimension, but the opposite, a silent drama amount common people, one of which has a special gift, and we follow these people for decades as they grow as humans and grow old.
I know that these stories with the talented odd personality is somewhat a cliche, we have seen it before. But here it works, because it is not freaks, but lovely humans that we cant help but love, because the remind us that much about our self, and because we want the weirdos and freaks to be lovable, because if they can be loved, everyone can be loved.
I can't help but love, that even in these days and ages, that someone makes a movie like this, thank you.
Damage (1992)
Very british and 1992
I saw this movie more than 30 years after it was made, so the question is also, if it aged well. Yes and no. The colors and scenery is very 1992, and while it might have seemed modern and high-class back then, it seems gray and claustrofobic today. The erotic sceens might have been daring back then, now they seems ordinary, abait they still do the job. And Juliette Binoche is lovely as always.
My main objection to the movie is however that I don't understand the attraction between the two, which partly is because they both plays there roles understated, him as typical british upperclass stif upper lip, her with not much expression in her face.
I don't like the ending, and I think the theme "damage" should have been explored more.
But still a movie worth watching.
Las de la última fila (2022)
Unexpecet gem
I don't often watch Spanish movies or series, even if I'm European. But I'm glad that I made an exception.
Because this was one of these rare unexpected diamonds that exploded in light and warmth and joy and humanity and emotions. It might touch the limit of sugar, but those 5 charming actors makes it edible and loveable, so you have to surrender yourself.
5 beautiful women spending some days at the see on a vacation, on a sad background, but with each other to help stepping several steps forward and cross borders that needs to be crossed.
There is some nice Spanish touch here, some the time does sometime jump back and forth in mysterious ways, the sun is always shining and colors are bright and saturated. I'm not an expert, but I think I see an inheritance from Pedro Almodóvar here.
This is most of all a series on friendships, and finding ways to move on with your life.
So now, go and watch it for yourself!
Fatal Crossing (2023)
Boring and clumsy
I had really been looking forward to this, nordic crime, as so often before, and hopefully as good as usual.
But despite a good story, based on a popular book, a cast that seems to deliver, even if not big stars, it ends up boring, because so little happens, way to many empty pauses, and characters that stare empty into the void. If the series was shorted by one third, it would work.
On top of that, lines that is too much, that no one would say in real life, and is too clumsy. Sometime I wonder if the book has a deeper layer, that the movie never dig enough into and we therefore do not understand. Instead we hear actors say sentences that is not really connected to anything and sound like a cliche.
It is not all bad, after all I watched it to the end. It's just never really good. Maybe I should read the book.
Fleishman Is in Trouble (2022)
Uninteresting cliché
I normally see a series through to the end, but here I had to stop after 3 episodes. Not because it is bad or because it is not my type of show, but because it is an uninteresting cliche.
A jewish big city couple that spends years in a catastrophe of a marriage, a main character that talks in a flood of words, as if he was Woody Allan, and a wife that is obsessed with making money and a carrier, that she is far from credible. All in all, the two are not interesting.
I'm not sure this is supposed to be funny, it is not. I'm not sure it is mend to tell something about modern life, it does not, the world they are living in is far from anything realistic.
And in top of all the words flooding from the main character we must also listen to a voice over, that explains what is going on, and ties it all together, because we are apparently too stupid to figure it out ourself and the crew is too lazy to tell the story.
Sorry, I got bored.
Kärlek & anarki (2020)
One bumpy road
A funny modern Swedish comedy, with all your heart desires, funny scenes, punchlines, love, sex, sadness and much more.
To really enjoy it, you need to accept a few shortcuts in the story, some side characters that is unbelievable flat, some faces that just glares without any expression, and threads in the story that has no ends.
But if you can that, is is a good series. The first season is the best, partly because everything is fresh, whereas some repetition sneak in later, partly because there is less of a main story in second season and partly because the main feature of the story is the game between the two in the first season.
But have a look, you will not regret it.
Kongernes fald (2019)
A trip down the memory lane
A nice walk through my childhood favorite sport, speedway, with the kings of the time, a visit to the major event and victories.
The conflict between Ole and Erik on the one side and Hans on the other, takes up a main part, but the documentary does never dig very deep. Why does Ole never answer, if he now can see that he neglected Hans in favor of Erik, while it was his job to help them both.
Mainly a cosy history, from Hans and Eriks first steps, as very young, in to the world where Ole was the king, to he addicts and first Erik and the Hans take over the crown.
It is all quite and enjoyable, not much is added to the legends, an all in all probably mainly for the us who was there.
Huset (2023)
Dark doom story
A dark tale of people going down, because conditions, because they are trapped in a fight they can't win, a game where everyone loose. Where there is only bad choices and you are doomed no matter what you do. Where humanity and good is always seen as weakens and punished.
There are small clues on how to escape, that the house must be torn down, but it seems a little bit out of context.
But does it work then. Well, yes and no. I have problems with credibility. I don't really think that everyone in that world act that stupid. I don't believe that Danish prisons are like that.
I have a problem with the scenography. It seems too ordinary, too much like every day. It does not set a scene in which the events seems likely. The characters seems to much like you and me, to act like they do. Maybe a slight touch of darkness and some background noise could do it.
It is probably a educated choice of the creators, to make the events happen in a recognizable world. But the distance, verfremdungseffekt, that could make me believe in the story and the characters are missing.
But still, it is a good series, it is worth watching. Well done.
Året jag slutade prestera och började onanera (2022)
Enjoyable
I don't think this will win an Oscar in any category, it's does not touch new ground, and it is in no way perfect.
But it is quite enjoyable entertainment for its 100 minutes, it is fun and it is sympathetic.
Yes, the men is all a bit silly and the cause of all the problems woman have. And the women are all, at least in the end, warm hearted and good. But we have seen the opposite in movies after move, without anyone noticing; it is refreshing to see the feminine as the good for a change.
I doubt that you will watch this for the strong characters and how the actors manifest these characters, but they all fill their role as they should.
So, forget the troubles for a while, and enjoy.
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction (2023)
Old fashioned comedy
In Denmark, and probably in other countries, we had 50 years ago a movie genre named folkekomedie, or folk/people comedy. This seems to be an attempt to make a 2023 version of these.
Key features of these are a thin story, flat characters, humor, god vs bad, and always the good guys and gals the wins in the end. This movie has all this, but not much more.
As in the old movies, the sun is always shining, the colors are bright and strong, the actors play over obvious, as if the viewers are a bit dumb, there is no gray zones, you will always know what to think. To enjoy it, you need to be able to ignore quite some plot holes, and an in coherent story line.
But then, does it work within the frames of a peoples comedy? Well yes, I guess you are entertained for 1 and a half hour, and you will soon forget it afterwards. It is moderately funny. But it is also quite boring.
Krigsseileren (2022)
God but not exellent
It is in many ways a good miniseries, all actors play well, the store is important to be told, the pictures are excellent, and there is nothing really wrong wit it.
But it lacks a bit of magic, something that puts us viewers a bit closer to the edge of the chair, gets us involved. Sometimes I had the feeling of watching somethin AI generated. Every scene serves a purpose, it follows the path to the conclusion, the lines are correct and are delivered precisely as one would expect. But without magic, without doing more or anything else than the expected.
The last episode left me a bit unfulfilled, the end is missing, the part where they make the ends meet.
Maybe they should have allowed the series to be longer, there is enough story to tell, there is too much that is left untold, and I enjoyed the company.
Anyway, I'm glad that I saw it, and I think you should give it a try.
PS: After seeing the Norwegian series Exit, it took me a while to adopt to two of the main characters roles in this one.
Naked (1993)
Miserable lifes
This is the story about two men and all the women they hurt. One guy does obviously take pleasure in inducing pain, the other by not really care, and hiding himself behind a wall of meaningless words, to protect himself from feelings, intimacy and responsibility. Both men get away with it, without any consequence.
The women are lonely, have miserable lives, and therefore seek company of the later guy, the main character. One think she can save him, the other seeks any company they can get, an seems to be attracted to the guys flood of words.
I say this movie 30 years after its release, and it seems oddly dated, even if I think it was kind of progressive for its time, with all its raw naturalism. And as such it is well made.
My main problem is that I don't believe in the characters, I can't follow the reasoning, I can't understand why they do as the do.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
Not quite there
Despite a long list of excellent actors, an interesting story, this movie does not make it all the way.
For me, the main problem is to lose storytelling, to many dead ends, and to many threads that are never really connected.
The move seems to have a lot of time to tell what it wants, and yes, it is boring at times, so there should be opportunities to close the black holes, and make the characters more interesting for us.
I guess there is an interesting book behind the movie, and maybe they want to tell to much from the book, instead of telling one coherent story.
To make Olivia Colman seem boring and not able to express something that makes sense, is quite an achievement.
An when you hire an excellent actor as Ed Harris, his character should add something to the hole.
It is not all bad, it's just not quite good enough.
Karppi (2018)
Karppi season 2
One of the key elements of a crime series like this, is that the story connects the dots that paints the full picture, and catch the bad guy in the end, in a elegant and logical way. Sadly the second season is weak right there. There is too many turns that does not make sense, too many events that has to take place in order to get the story moving, that just jump into the lab of the detective.
My next issue with this season is that it is filled with too much, that seems to be filled in just to add "excitement", but adds nothing to the hole picture. If the story was exiting enough on its own, and the storyteller believed in the story, this was not needed.
Other than that, I liked the season and I like Pihla Viitala. All the technical stuff is good, the actors does their jobs, and I would really love to see a new season, but with a better manuscript.
(This is my first review, so bear with me.)