Eagerly anticipating this week ... (6-24)

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10/28/2021

Angels in Fast Motion/Nordkraft (2005) - Madsen fumbles with druggie adaptation

 

Contrasting colors used deftly on this poster for Ole Christian Madsen's Angels in Fast Motion, which showcases its three derelict main characters

In Aalborg, Jutland we meet Steso, a drug addict rebel with high-minded ideas; Maria, a crisis-hit drug mule; and Allan, a scarred factory worker with a debt. All of them have dysfunctional family backgrounds.

 

Angels in Fast Motion is written by Bo Hr. Hansen (Speed Walking/Kapgang (2014)) and great Danish filmmaker, co-writer/director Ole Christian Madsen (Lykkelige Jim (1993)), adapting the same-titled 2002 novel by Jakob Ejersbo (Liberty (2009)). The original title, which translates to 'North force', is the name of the now closed power plant by the harbor in Aalborg.

Madsen steals from films that Angels in Fast Motion don't anywhere near in terms of quality (such as Requiem for a Dream (2000) and The Rules of Attraction (2002)). The film has lots of good - but sometimes distracting - Danish rock.

Thure Lindhardt (Kill Command (2016)), Farshad Kholghi (Åndehullet (2003, TV-series)) and others do well in the credible characters created by Ejersbo. Angels in Fast Motion is bogged down by many poor dispositions by Madsen, - excessive use of voice-over, unimpressive camera work, sudden stylization etc., - and it finally comes out a neither very punchy nor a good film.


Related posts:

 

Ole Christian Madsen: 2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2008 in films - according to Film Excess

Flame & Citron/Flammen og Citronen (2008) - Madsen's thrilling WWII resistance picture 

 


 

In this video Madsen talks about his most recent film The Day We Died/Krudttønden (2020)

 

Cost: Reportedly 20.2 mil. DKK

Box office: At least 14.6 mil. DKK

= Huge flop (returned 0.72 times its cost)

[Angels in Fast Motion was released 4 March (Denmark) and runs 120 minutes. Shooting took place from March - June 2004 in Denmark, including Copenhagen. The film sold 195,265 tickets in Denmark, coming to a gross of around 14.5 mil. DKK. The film won 5/7 Robert awards, Denmark's Oscar.  Madsen returned with Prague/Prag (2006). Lindhardt returned in Bag det Stille Ydre (2005); Signe Egholm (Breeder (2020)) in Den Store Dag (2005); and Claus Riis Østergaard (Hacker (2019)) in Cecilie (2007). 2,700+ IMDb users have given Angels in Fast Motion a 6.8/10 average rating.]


What do you think of Angels in Fast Motion?

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