Himlen Falder (2009) - True-crime abuse drama has qualities - and flaws

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Star Mille Lehfeldt looks hatefully at something on this gloomy poster for Manyar I. Parwani's Himlen Falder

Sara is a young woman who lives in the shadows of her past, when she learns that her much hated biological mother is dead. She seeks out her brother and father, who don't recognize her, and she suspects that her father is abusing his two new daughters.

 

Himlen Falder is written and directed by Manyar I. Parwani (Ibrahim (2007)). The original Danish title translates to 'heaven falls'.

The film is 'inspired by the Tønder case', one of Denmark's worst sexual abuse cases ever, the DVD cover informs, and yet the plot is adequately removed from the actual case so that it would probably have been better if the inspirational true-crime connection had gone unmentioned. Perhaps Parwani at some point realized that he could not adapt the grueling case, which is so grim and horrific that most would bow out, and instead he has created this compromise. Lukas Moodyson's Lilya 4-Ever (2002) is one of the few films that portrays something that comes close to the horrors of the Tønder case.

Himlen Falder is not poor, and it brings its audience forcefully down into the despair and powerlessness that abuse victims can find themselves in. The assaults are mostly left in the past, and it is instead the long-term harm of such transgressions that the film examines. It has excellent photography (by Lars Reinholdt (Hundeliv (2016)) and Martin Top Jacobsen (Sjit Happens (2016-17))) and good performances from Mille Lehfeldt (Player (2013)), Dick Kaysøe (The Christmas Party/Julefrokosten (2009)) and especially Marcus Christensen (Se Dagens Lys (2003, TV movie)) as the brother Danni, who has become a neo-Nazi due to his anger. The father (Kaysøe) is shown as a human being rather than a monster, which is provocative, - and which also strikes one as a creative decision that is too far removed from the dark realities of the actual case.

 

 

Watch a teaser for the film here

 

Cost: Estimated 9 mil. DKK, approximately 1.31 mil. $

Box office: 63k $

= Box office disaster (returned 0.04 times its cost)

[Himlen Falder was released 20 January (Denmark) and runs 100 minutes. Shooting took place in Fåborg, Fyn, Denmark. The film opened #11 in Denmark, its only general release market, where it only attracted 7k audiences. The film was nominated for 3 Robert awards, Denmark's Oscar. Parwani has not returned to the medium since; for the last few years he has been in a legal conflict with a prominent Danish author concerning a documentary about her that he has shot. Lehfeldt returned in Nothing's All Bad/Smukke Mennesker (2010). 246 IMDb users have given the film a 5.3/10 rating.]

 

What do you think of Himlen Falder? 

Long Story Short/Lang Historie Kort (2015) - Charming actors elevate generational, party-centered romcom

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Box Office Disaster of the Year

In bright feminine colors, the cast and a huge dog stand out on this poster for May el-Toukhy's Long Story Short

We follow a group of close, middle-aged friends through 8 parties over the course of 3 years; their relationships' ups and downs.

Long Story Short is written by Maren Louise Käehne (Shelley (2016)) and co-writer/director May el-Toukhy (White Man's Burden (2003)). It is a romcom made with a sure stylistic touch and a good soundtrack. It works as a tender exposé of the filmmakers' own generation, which is superficial, immature and annoying. What discouraged me most about this was that it made me think that my own generation may be even worse.
The focus on the parties banalizes the issues to some degree, because it implicitly indicates that of the most paramount important in life is socializing with friends, - who don't speak about the pressing problems, (they are solved with divorces and therapy), and where children are treated largely as negative, disturbing elements.
The film still works, because it is made with enthusiasm and energy and a group of lovely actors, who bring Long Story Short to life: Mille Lehfeldt (Talenttyven (2012)), Peter Gantzler (On Thin Ice/Kampen (2013)) and Trine Dyrholm (Nico, 1988 (2017)) are all delightful, in spite of my personal ruminations. 
Long Story Short is a crowdpleaser of the kind which could only come from a woman. But it is a lightweight work.

Related posts:

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Watch a piece of one of the party sections from the film - the surprise party - in this 2-minute video

Cost: Unknown
Box office: 248k $ (Denmark only)
= Uncertain (but likely a box office disaster)
[Long Story Short was released 7 May (Denmark) and runs 100 minutes. Outside of its production country Denmark, the film was shown at festivals in 3 other countries and released in Hungary, but grosses are not made public. If the film was made on a very modest 1 mil. $ budget, it would count as a box office disaster. It won 1/6 Robert nominations (Denmark's Oscar) and 2/4 Bodil awards (Danish film critics' awards). El-Toukhy returned with The Legacy/Arven (2017, TV-series), Ride Upon the Storm/Herrens Veje (2017, TV-series) and theatrically with Queen of Hearts/Dronningen (2019). Lehfeldt has not returned with any credits since. Jens Albinus (Far from China (2001)) returned in 3 TV projects and a short before he was back on the big screen in A Fortunate Man/Lykke-Per (2018). 426 IMDb users have given Long Story Short a 6.6/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Long Story Short?

Nothing's All Bad/Smukke Mennesker (2010) - Fals' promising, unusual and sincere debut

♥♥♥♥♥

 

  + Best Debut Movie of the Year

 

This tongue-in-cheek, well-made poster for Mikkel Munch-Fals' Nothing's All Bad hints at the film's dark comedy elements

 

A family father visits a prostitute. A daughter with only one breast. A rent boy. A flasher. A lonely widow. All come together in Nothing's All Bad.

There is very little wrong with Nothing's All Bad, the debut film of great Danish writer-director Mikkel Munch-Fals (Swinger (2016)): Its chapter structure foregrounds the filmmaker's urge to over-control his film and seems unimportant. But that's about it.

The actors impress, and especially young Sebastian Jessen (Love Is All You Need/Den Skaldede Frisør (2012)) is great. Nothing's All Bad is a wonderful mix of exhibiting and ironically playing with the ailments and hypocrisies of Danish society, while simultaneously embracing its flawed characters. SPOILER Its both surprising, humoristic and light ending leaves us with a distinct feeling that joy in human relations is a possibility.

Nothing's All Bad, - the original Danish title translates to 'beautiful people', - is something new in Danish cinema, which brazes an important message: That we may be sexual freaks, freaks of nature or whatever you want to call it, but that we're also beautiful people. I heartily recommend it.

 

Related posts:

 

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Writer-director Fals directs his actors during filming of Nothing's All Bad

 

Writer-director Fals talks of the film at the Stockholm International Film Festival here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Unknown (but most likely a mega-flop)

[Nothing's All Bad was released September 23 (Denmark) and runs 93 minutes. Its budget is unknown, but it was supported with more than 5 mil. DKK (about 0.9 mil. $) from New Danish Screen, the debuting organ within the Danish Film Institute. It sold only 6,207 tickets in Danish cinemas but was screened at 19 film festivals around the world. However, there is no doubt that Nothing's All Bad lost some money. It was nominated for 6 Roberts, winning Bodil Jørgensen the Best Supporting Actress award, and for three Bodils, winning Kurt Ravn the Best Supporting Actor award. 833 IMDb-users have given Nothing's All Bad an average rating of 7.1/10.]

What do you think of Nothing's All Bad?