Mørkeland (2024) - Good elements, wrong plot in botched political thriller sequel

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Star Anders W. Berthelsen photoshopped in on some non-existing stairs in front of Denmark's parliament on the poster for Mikkel Serup's Mørkeland

Following several years of unemployment, journalist Ulrik Torp gets an internship at his old workplace, a national Danish newspaper. He is tasked with an assassination story that seems to have implications involving the ongoing general election...

Mørkeland is written by Marie Østerbye (Player (2013)), adapting the same-titled 2019 novel by Niels Krause-Kjær (Tilskueren (2004)), and directed by Mikkel Serup (Klassefesten 2: Begravelsen (2014)). It is the sequel to Nikolaj Arcel's great thriller King's Game/Kongekabale (2004), which was also a Krause-Kjær adaptation. The title translates to 'darkland'.

The novelist has finished two books more since 2019's Mørkeland, and one wonders as a spectator if this film took too long to get made, or was the wrong novel to adapt to begin with, because in any case it comes out as somewhat redundant in today's post-COVID, Ukraine War beset Europe. Denmark's political scandals in the last several years have revolved around its overly powerful, self-governed prime minister and her even less rationally controlled, (sometimes dangerously out-of-control) chief of staff and close friend, that are the very center of Denmark's democratic power. Yet in Mørkeland's alternate universe the threat for most of the film is a tiny right-wing party that struggles to get past the 2 % support barrier to actually obtain MPs, - we are never introduced to any of the more central politicians of the country's election race, - and in fact everything somehow revolves around this tiny, insignificant party. This is an odd plot-line that may have been partly relevant - before the Trump presidency, COVID and several other things happened.

Anders W. Berthelsen (Ditte & Louise (2018)) is back as Torp, with more skin flaps and larger old-man ears, a few more pounds, an actor positively freed from glamouring himself up with procedures and fitness torture, (it is appreciated!), and his journalist look is still very much spot-on. The surrounding cast is competent but that's about it, as their characters are mostly drained of the juice that is wit, humor or personality. There are neat exterior shots of traffic in motion and the film's thriller score (by the completely unknown trio Elvin Matz, Aramis Silvereke and Alexander Weslund (Houseplants, short (2023, all))) is perhaps its best component. Did these three actually make this score? In the age of AI, one is naturally suspicious.

SPOILER The movie's surprise twist is that the real villains are really (deep state) mainstream thinkers (including ex-intelligence agents) who believe they better quell the electorate's right-wing leanings and secure EU stability. Real-world Denmark has had vocal, big right-wing parties with power for decades, so this fantasy seems more than a bit far-fetched. And the relevant political scandals of much bigger proportions (that could have been tackled) are standing in a very long line around the block. 

Mørkeland, in short, shrinks compared to King's Game. But the execution isn't terrible.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown, projected 30 mil. DKK

Box office: 11.5 mil. DKK and counting

= Too early to say

[Mørkeland was released 22 August (Denmark) and runs 99 minutes. The film has been #1 for 2 weekends in Denmark and sold 137k tickets so far, but it plays in Biografklub Danmark/'cinema club Denmark', meaning that at least half the tickets are sold at half prize. It opens in Sweden, its only slated foreign market, 13 September. Serup does not have his next film announced yet. Berthelsen returns in Børnene fra Sølvgade (2024). 160 IMDb users have given Mørkeland a 6.3/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Mørkeland?

Offscreen (2006) - Anxiety, disintegration and violence in a self-mediating reality

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+ Worst Dollar Return of the Year: 0.05 Times its Cost

 

Conflicting signals of happy comedy and strong violence are indicated on this stylish poster for Christoffer Boe's Offscreen

Actor Nicolas Bro's (Talenttyven (2012)) marriage falls apart, when he starts to document his life at all times on camera.

 

Offscreen is written by Knud Romer Jørgensen (The Idiots/Idioterne (1998, actor)) and co-writer/director Christoffer Boe (Reconstruction (2003)).

It is a daring and unusual meta/mockumentary film in which Bro plays a version of himself, who borrows the camera from Boe also playing a fictionalized version of himself, a distracted, high-minded (douchebag) young film director. Bro is authentic and frightening as a man in disintegration, SPOILER culminating with his becoming a killer of women, who rolls in their blood!

Before things get that far, however, the married couple scenes play out somewhat like theater exercises, where the conflict is meant to always escalate, which at times seems less than natural and a bit aggravating at the same time, lacking nuances. Still, Offscreen is an edgy, fairly unpleasant, modern type of film.

 

Related posts:

Christoffer Boe: When Animals Dream/Når Dyrene Drømmer (2014) - Artsy, ineffectual Danish horror debut (contributing writer) 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Allegro (2005) or, His Past Was Lost in a Copenhagen Zone!

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Reconstruction (2003) - Luminous Bonnevie in Boe's striking Copenhagen love/mystery debut 

 

 

Here is a casting tape Nicolas Bro has made available from his casting in Boe's Reconstruction (2003)

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Approximately 50k $

= Some uncertainty but likely a box office disaster (projected return of 0.05 times its cost)

[Offscreen was released 18 August (Denmark) and runs 93 minutes. Shooting took place in Denmark, including in Copenhagen. The film sold 4,783 tickets in Denmark, its only general release market, coming to approximately 50k $. If made on a realistic low budget of 1 mil. $, the film would rank as a box office disaster. It won 1/6 Robert awards (Denmark's Oscar) and was nominated for the Nordic Council's film prize, among other honors. Boe returned with Avantgardekapitalisten (2008, documentary short) and theatrically with Everything Will Be Fine/Alting Bliver Godt Igen (2010). Bro returned in Skymaster/Der Var Engang en Dreng - Som Fik en Lillesøster med Vinger (2006). 696 IMDb users have given Offscreen a 6.4/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Offscreen?

Terribly Happy/Frygtelig Lykkelig (2008) or, A Fix in Southern Jutland

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Not much is revealed, besides a story that involves a man, a woman and a gun, on this forgettable poster for Henrik Ruben Genz's Terribly Happy

A policeman from Copenhagen draws his gun on his wife and gets sent to a position in Southern Jutland as punishment. As a countryside cop there, he soon finds himself entangled in the very particular 'methods' of the locals.

Terribly Happy is written by Dunja Gry Jensen (Norskov (2015-17)) and co-writer-director Henrik Ruben Genz (Chinaman/Kinamand (2005)), based on the same-titled 2004 novel by Erling Jepsen (Ingen Grund til Overdramatisering (1999)). Despite the film having a bit of a slow uptake, it proves to be a good, exciting country-set noir/dark comedy.
Kim Bodnia (The Name of the Game/Krigarnas Ö (2016)) and Lene Maria Christensen (Brothers/Brødre (2004)) are perfect as the town's punchy heavy and its good-looking blond.
Terribly Happy has several intense scenes and homicidal-fatalistic horrors. Some minor flaws and an annoying tail to an otherwise great, wicked ending weigh it down a little bit. Still this is a very well-made and recommendable plate.

In lieu of a trailer for the film, not currently available on Youtube, here is a bizarre television event in which Jepsen is to have a conversation with Genz but slaps him playfully in the face twice in the beginning, making Genz's lip bleed so that he leaves the situation, leaving the writer awkwardly alone with the still filming camera crew

Cost: 20.5 mil. DKK, equaling approximately 3.41 mil. $
Box office: Uncertain
= Uncertain - but likely a huge flop
[Terribly Happy premiered 5 July (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic) and runs 99 minutes. The film has played at at least 16 film festivals in different countries. It had a limited release in North-America, where it peaked at #51 and in 9 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 170k $. In its native Denmark, 266,795 paid admission to see it, which is considered successful here. Unfortunately, the film played within the framework of the Cinema Club Denmark, which means that most audiences only paid half prize for their tickets. I'd predict its theatrical gross somewhere in the 15 mil. DKK range, making it still a huge flop by Film Excess' high standards. This is in line with its producer's statement in an interview that he hasn't made a dime on it. It was Denmark's entry for the 2010 Oscars, but it wasn't nominated. It won 7/14 Robert nominations (Denmark's Oscar) and 6/7 Bodil nominations (Denmark's film critics' awards). Genz returned theatrically with Excuse Me/Undskyld Jeg Forstyrrer (2012), another Jepsen adaptation. Terribly Happy is certified fresh at 89 % with a 7.3/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Terribly Happy?

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?

Northwest/Nordvest (2013) - Strong performances make Noer's underwritten crime thriller work

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Lead Gustav Dyekjær Giese frontlines the tough guys on the poster for Michael Noer's Northwest

QUICK REVIEW:

Casper is a young burglar in Copenhagen's Nordvest [Northwest] neighborhood, who has gotten really tired of answering to the local immigrant hood Jamal. When he takes a job from a rocker-related gangster, his little brother gets mixed up in it ...

Great co-writer/director Michael Noer (R: Hit First, Hit Hardest/R (2010)), whose first solo-directing feature this is, succeeds in creating a suspense and a sense of realism in Northwest, which a lot of the time is carried by the actors: Roland Møller (A Hijacking/Kapringen (2012)) especially, and Lene Maria Christensen (Terribly Happy/Frygtelig Lykkelig (2008)) is good as the mother, but it is debuting amateur actors Gustav Dyekjær Giese (When Animals Dream/Når Dyr Drømmer (2014)) and his real-life younger brother Oscar Dyekjær Giese (Attack of the Lederhosenzombies (2015)) who are the film's real scoop. Lead Giese's face and gesticulation communicates his character's dual sides as a scared kid and a semi-hard kid very well.
Rasmus Heisterberg (A Royal Affair/En Kongelig Affære (2012)) co-wrote Northwest, which is a good film but unfortunately a little short, (it runs 91 minutes.) More plot elements could have been elaborated and escalated further.
Noer is currently out with his third fiction feature, Key House Mirror/Nøgle Hus Spejl (2015), about growing old and falling in love.

Watch the trailer for the film with English subtitles here

Cost: 12.6 mio. DKR (approximately 1.8 mil. $)
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertainty
[Northwest was shot in and around Northwest, Copenhagen. Despite many good reviews, the film only drew 97,452 tickets in its native Denmark, which is far from hit status. It was shown in many other countries, mostly at festivals, and a gross is not made public, so saying how it did commercially is difficult, but I will generously label it a big flop.]

What do you think of Northwest?