Hærværk (1977) - Danish alcoholism drama a true downer

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'Who wins when you fight against yourself?' asks the poignant tag-line on this very 1970s-styled poster for Ole Roos' Hærværk

A man latches himself to alcoholic fringe characters and lets his life fall apart.

 

Hærværk is written by Klaus Rifbjerg (Tukuma (1984)) and co-writer/director/editor Ole Roos (Kys til Højre og Venstre (1969)), adapting the same-titled 1930 novel by Tom Kristensen (Fribytterdrømme (1920)). The original Danish title translates to 'vandalism'.

Ole Ernst (Okay (2002)) and Jesper Christensen (Before the Frost/Før Frosten (2018)) are both increasingly sad and consumed by alcoholism in the long, downbeat drama downer with Kristensen's apt title encapsulation of the universal discipline of self-destruction and downfall. The obvious lack of 'fun' in the circle of the addicted, the mean misery of it all and the ritualized and egotistical nature of the behavior, - all aspects are caught vividly here in a seething depiction of alcoholism. Regrettably Hærværk is simultaneously an overlong and dour watch.

 

Here a video with Ernst talking about addiction

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Approximately 1.68 mil. $

= Uncertain

[Hærværk was released 4 November (Denmark) and runs 132 minutes. The film was a hit in Denmark, where it sold nearly 209k tickets. It was also released in Norway, but its sale here is unknown. Roos returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return with Forræderne (1983). Ernst returned in Lille Spejl (1978). 227 IMDb users have given Hærværk a 6.5/10 average rating.]

 

What do you think of Hærværk? 

A Family/En Familie (2010) or, An Idiotic Family

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The Danish poster for Pernille Fischer Christensen's A Family

The Rheinwald family's patriarch is well after a period of illness and remarries. But he then suddenly falls deadly ill again. His daughter's life plans consequently fall apart. - And what about the family bakery?

Eminent acting, particularly from Jesper Christensen (Casino Royale (2006)) and Lene Maria Christensen (Brothers/Brødre (2004)), enliven A Family. He is impressively authentic as a dying man, and that is at times hard to watch. But despite touching scenes, the film is flawed: 
As immature as all the characters are, (and they are really immature and at times gratingly idiotic), as immature seems the script: SPOILER The abortion is something we are meant to tacitly accept in that we are not exposed to the flushed out fetus, (although Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones (2016)) is.) And great co-writer/director Pernille Fischer Christensen (A Soap/En Soap (2006)), whose third feature this is, has stated that this film is a salute to life, which bugs me the wrong way in this context. She was obviously not, at this point in her career anyway, capable of making a serious film about death, which is what is attempted here. It also bothers me that she apparently doesn't see that all of the characters are almost obsessive in their tragically/idiotically poor choices in their behavior, reminiscent of the family we meet in the much superior Another Happy Day (2011).
Christensen co-wrote with Kim Fupz Aakeson (Prague/Prag (2006)). A Family is not a bad film but it is a case of a might-have-been something else and better.

Related review:

Pernille Fischer Christensen: A Soap/En Soap (2006) - P. Christensen's great melodrama debut

Watch the German trailer for the film here

Cost: Approximately 2.4 mil. $ (16 mil. DKK)
Box office: Unknown
= Unknown (but likely a big to huge flop)
[A Family premiered February 19 (Berlin International Film Festival) and runs 102 minutes. 128,488 paid admission to see the film in its native Denmark. It won the critics' prize in Berlin and was shown at seven dozen other festivals and in 4 other European countries. Depending on its performance in these countries, its status might be different, but I label it tentatively as a big flop. 1,023 IMDb users have given A Family a 6.7/10 average rating.]

What do you think of A Family?

The Debt (2010) - The Nazi war criminal thriller is back in a welcome return

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The slick but not very informative poster for John Madden's The Debt

QUICK REVIEW:

In 1965 the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad sent three agents to East-Berlin to assassinate an infamous Nazi war criminal, the Surgeon of Nuremberg, who was then a practicing gynecologist.

The Debt lifts the rich inheritance from Nazi war criminal thrillers like The Marathon Man (1976) and The Boys from Brazil (1978) without the elements of diamonds, clones or wild car chases from those films, but instead with a sober and intense story, SPOILER which ends as an uncompromising defense for truth in all contexts.
The film could have benefited from an opening text about East-Berlin and that Mossad had just localized the Surgeon there, and there are also some difficulties in seeing all the well-known actors as Jews, - but, more importantly, they all do well. Particularly Helen Mirren (The Last Station (2009)), who simply becomes her character here, but also Jessica Chastain (The Martian (2015)) and Jesper Christensen (Spectre (2015)), who is icy as the Nazi war criminal, mixing psychopathic diabolism with rationality and sympathetic qualities.
The Debt is a remake of the Israeli The Debt/Ha-Hov (2007), written by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass (2010)), Jane Goldman (Stardust (2007)) and Peter Straughan (The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)), and directed by great English filmmaker John Madden (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)). It is an attractive, good film.

Related review:

John Madden: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) - Elderly Brits me in India in Madden's delightful film

Watch a short trailer for the film here

Cost: 20 mil. $
Box office: 45.6 mil. $
= Flop
[The film premiered at the Deauville American Film Festival in France September 4 and runs 113 minutes. The Debt was finished and ready for release in July 2010, but due to the sale of distributor Miramax, the North American release was delayed until August 31 2011. The film opened #2 to 9.9 mil. $ in North America, where it grossed 31.1 mil. $ (68.2 % of the total gross.) The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 4.6 mil. $ (10.1 %) and the UK with 2.3 mil. $ (5 %). The Debt is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.5 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Debt?

Italian for Beginners/Italiensk for Begyndere (2000) - Scherfig's perfect gem of a Dogme romcom

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The attractive poster for Lone Scherfig's Italian for Beginners

The Danish Dogme manifesto of 1995 was a set of pious rules that meant hand-held photography, low budgets, no stunts, no extra-diegetic music, no unreal violence, etc. etc. etc., and together, Lars Von Trier's The Idiots/Idioterne (1998), Thomas Vinterberg's The Celebration/Festen (1998) and Lone Scherfig's Italian for Beginners are above question the finest films that came out of the successful wave.

Italian for Beginners is the story of a priest that temps in a broken down parish; two sisters that find each other when both their parents pass away; and a soccer stadium restaurant manager who gets fired. They all attend an evening course in Italian and end up going to Venice together.

This film is a liberating watch for many reasons: It is filled with weighty drama, (joggling themes of death, impotence and loneliness), and none of the heavy parts of life are slighted here. But they are balanced in an incredibly sensitive and funny script (also by Scherfig (An Education (2009))), and combined with tender romances. It all bears the risk of becoming sentimental, but the Dogme realism luckily keeps the film from that pitfall.
Much of the ironic humor of the film lies in the special Danish language, intonations and national quirks and will therefore likely not be picked up by foreigners, but much of it still will, I suspect, and the film should prove a great enjoyment to all in any case.
There are exceedingly charming performances from the female actors; Annette Støvelbæk (Speed Walking/Kapgang (2014)) as the clumsy Olympia, Ann Eleonora Jørgensen (The Killing/Forbrydelsen (2007), TV-series) as the assured hairdresser, and Sara Indrio Jensen (No Time for Love/Simon & Malou (2009)) as the Italian waitress. Anders W. Berthelsen (Mifune/Mifunes Sidste Sang (1999)) is wonderful as the troubled priest, and in his perhaps finest work of all, Peter Gantzler (Copenhagen Dreams (2013), short) shines and acts with all of his great talent as the cautious, good-willed Jørgen Mortensen.
The wonderful supporting cast builds the pleasure of Italian for Beginners up even higher; especially Jesper Christensen's (The Debt (2010)) performance has garnered national notoriety (and is commonly quoted), but also Bent Mejding (We Shall Overcome/Drømmen (2006)) as the disillusioned priest is formidable, and Lars Kaalund (In a Better World/Hævnen (2010)) as the temperamental Halfin is an asshole, but fun.

A film about the passions of the self-effacing, the weak, the arrogant, and the ridiculous, and about the tremendous gift of love, Italian for Beginners turned out to be recognized and appreciated the world over, and is said to have been the most profitable Scandinavian film in history to date, (which may or may not be true.)
Though the cast never withdrew much career-wise (internationally, anyway) from this placement, - only Christensen has since then developed a strong international career with performances in films such as The Interpreter (2005), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Melancholia (2011) etc. - Scherfig has build a strong path for herself, especially through films in the UK, but has never since made such a masterful film, though especially her great An Education (2009) received much praise, three Oscar-nominations, and served as the breakthrough for Carey Mulligan (Drive (2011)).
Scherfig's current project is an Oxford-set university thriller with the title The Riot Club to come out in 2014.

Related post:

Top 10: The best adaptations reviewed by Film Excess to date 

 

Vibrant filmmaking, - you will not be able to resist it! Italian for Beginners - look it up pronto!

Cost: Reportedly between 0.6 mil.-1 mil. $
Box office: 16.3 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned at least 16.3 times the cost)
[Italian for Beginners was released 8 December (Denmark) and runs 118 minutes. Shooting took place in Zealand, Denmark and in Venice, Italy. The film opened #42 to a 66k $ strong first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #25 and in 99 theaters (different weeks) and grossed impressive 4.5 mil. $ (27.6 % of the total gross) during its 25-week run there. The film's biggest market was its native Denmark, where it grossed 5.2 mil. $ (31.9 %) from 828,701 admissions, making it the 13th highest attended Danish film in the country ever. North America was the 2nd largest market, and Germany was the 3rd largest with 3.5 mil. $ (21.5 %). The film won 4/5 nominations at the Berlin International Film Festival; it was nominated for a European Film award and won 3/11 Robert noms, Denmark's Oscar, among other honors. In 2010, Zentropa, the production company behind the film, payed an undisclosed sum to Irish writer Maeve Binchy, whose novel Evening Class (1998) Scherfig admitted to have "borrowed from" from for the film. Italian for Beginners is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.2/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

Thoughts on Dogme and other great romances in cinema history?
What do you think of Italian for Beginners?