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? 

Okay (2002) - Insufferable characters in Danish dramedy turkey

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+ 2nd Worst Movie of the Year

 

A sparse and very bright poster with a very long tag-line for Jesper W. Nielsen's Okay

Nete is a tough woman as a social worker in a job center, with her teenage daughter at home, and with her lax teacher/'writer' husband. But when her father turns out to be a terminal case, her world gets turned upside down.

 

Okay is written by Kim Fupz Aakeson (A Soap/En Soap (2006)) and directed by great Danish filmmaker Jesper W. Nielsen (Retfærdighedens Rytter (1989)).

Paprika Steen (The Idiots/Idioterne (1998)) gives it her all and is fired up on all engines, unfortunately in a character here who becomes too emotionally charged, loud, dictatorial and unsympathetic, dragon-like, - so much so that one wishes that she was the terminal case in Okay. Nete is the type of woman who is always right - about everything (in her own world.) But the other characters in the film are also often insufferable, - and not at all 'okay', - a terrible title by the way.

The filmmakers attempt to recreate the success of Susanne Bier's romcom local smash hit Den Eneste Ene (1999) with a bit more dramedy to it and again a radio-friendly soundtrack of café-aimed pop. This is entirely inappropriate in the context of the death theme in Okay, which is basically just a bit of spice to the 'almost adult' (fully-grown) 'artists'' limitless navel-picking here, both in front of and behind the camera. Okay is a lazy, self-enamored, out of touch with reality film from a lousy script without focus, laughs or seriousness.

 

Related post:

 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 13.2 mil. DKK, approximately 1.84 mil. $

Box office: In excess of 2.59 mil. $

= Uncertain, but likely a big flop (projected return of 1.46 times its cost)

[Okay was released 27 March (Denmark) and runs 97 minutes. 56.8 % of the budget was a grant from the Danish Film Institute. Shooting took place from March - April 2001 in Denmark, including in Copenhagen. The film was relatively successful in Denmark, where it got 235,610 admissions. At an average 73 DKK prize, this comes to around 2.38 mil. $ (88.1 % of the total gross). The only other market with information available is Germany, where the film grossed 210k $ (7.8 %). The film was released in a handful of other countries with likely small numbers. The projected final gross is 2.7 mil. $. The film won 3/9 Robert awards (Denmark's Oscar) and was nominated for a European Film award and the Nordic Council Prize, among other honors. Nielsen returned with Manden Bag Døren (2005). Steen returned in Open Hearts/Elsker Dig For Evigt (2002); Ole Ernst (Flugten (1973)) in Debutanten (2002, short) and theatrically in Rembrandt (2002); Troels Lyby (Klassefesten (2011)) in Hvor Svært Kan Det Være? (2002, TV-series), Annas Dag (2003, short) and theatrically in Tæl til 100 (2004). 1.5k+ IMDb uses have given Okay a 6.6/10 average rating.]

 

What do you think of Okay? 

Grev Axel (2001) - Frödin and Gråbøl pull laughter from 18th century-set crazy-comedy

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Star Peter Frödin looks silly before a woman in a chastity belt on this DVD cover for Søren Fauli's Grev Axel

In late 18th century Denmark a performing actor without much luck steals a man's pony and learns that said man was about to become a count. He swiftly assumes the man's identity and suddenly becomes a popular man of means and power.

Grev Axel is written by Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken/Mænd og Høns (2015)) and directed by Søren Fauli (Antenneforeningen (1999)). The titles means 'count Axel'.
The film launches crazy comedy in the Mel Brooks vein, though with a clear Danish style  and engaged performances all the way around:
Peter Frödin (Grethe (2016-17)) and Sofie Gråbøl (Flickering Lights/Blinkende Lygter (2000)) are tremendous.
The film would have benefited from a larger budget, and its script is clearly politely structured to follow the 'three act handbook', which isn't a compliment in this case.

Related post:

Søren Fauli: How to Get Rid of the Others/Hvordan Vi Slipper Af med De Andre (2007) - A generally awful Danish surreal comedy turkey (co-star)

Watch a scene from the film here, which is regrettably without subtitles but hysterically funny if you understand Danish

Cost: 13.5 mil. DKK, approximately 2.03 mil. $
Box office: 348k $
= Box office disaster (returned 0.17 times its cost)
[Grev Axel premiered 6 April (Denmark) and runs 90 minutes. The film was supported with a sum of money from the Danish Film Institute. It sold 67,468 tickets in production country Denmark. The listed gross, - only from there, - makes for an average ticket prize of 5.15 $. The film was not theatrically released elsewhere. The film won 2/5 Robert award nominations (Denmark's Oscar). Fauli returned with Polle Fiction (2002). Frödin returned in En Kort En Lang (2001); Gråbøl in Livsforsikringen (2003, short), Nikolaj og Julie (2002-03) and theatrically in Lad De Små Børn... (2004). 645 IMDb users have given Grev Axel a 5.5/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Grev Axel?

Epidemic (1987) - Von Trier's trippy, bizarre second film

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The interesting French poster for Lars Von Trier's Epidemic

Danish master co-writer/director Lars Von Trier (Dogville (2003)) and co-writer Niels Vørsel (The Element of Crime/Forbrydelsens Element (1984), co-writer) are working on the script for a new film and have a week before they are to present their 1½ years of work to the important Danish Film Institute consultant. Pressed by the deadline, with nothing conventionally good to turn in, they choose to write a new film called Epidemic about the bubonic plague in Europe, meanwhile a real, new epidemic manifests itself in their present.

Epidemic, Von Trier's second film, is the follow-up to The Element of Crime and the second film in his Europe trilogy, which concludes with Europe (1991). It is a deeply strange mix of meta-filmmaking reflections, Von Trier's own phobia of and amusement with hospitals and their authorities and trippy Europe-lore. It points ahead to both The Kingdom/Riget (1994-97) and the detour structure of Nymphomaniac (2013), and so is especially interesting for fans of Von Trier.
While Element of Crime was, to some degree, pretentious, Epidemic is almost free of this burden. Its unpredictability, atmospheric locations, absurdism and dark sense of humor keeps one interested throughout. It is an experimental work by a filmmaker in his infancy, - which I often find are rewarding works, - and a deeply weird one at that. - What other film has a high-point which is the cutting open of a paste of tooth paste? But Epidemic is more than just a bizarre cult item. It is memorable through several scenes; some amusing, such as Vørsel recounting his pen pal relation to American teen girls, some troubling and sad, such as Udo Kier's (Nymphomaniac) earnest and deeply personal recount of a terrible story from his first days alive, told to him by his mother only recently on her death bed; and finally there is the film's last scene around the dinner table, which is truly harrowing.

Related posts: 

Lars Von Trier:  Nymphomaniac (2013) short version, vol. 1 & vol. 2, or, Lars Von Trier's Suck It Melancholia (2011) - Von Trier's heightened reality doomsday reflections 
Antichrist (2009) - Von Trier's cabin-in-the-woods psycho-horror 
The Boss of It All/Direktøren for det Hele (2006) - Von Trier's hilarious absurd comedy 
Dear Wendy (2005) - Vinterberg and Von Trier's unpopular, gun-themed megaflop (writer)
Dogville (2003) - Von Trier's implacable, truly unique drama  
Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Dancer in the Dark (2000) or, Selma the Immigrant    
The Element of Crime/Forbrydelsens Element (1984) - Von Trier's ultra-strange debut

Watch the end credits of the film here with its very 1980s theme song

Cost: 1 - 1.1 mil. DKK ~ approximately 0.2 mil. $
Box office: Unknown
= Unknown (but likely a huge or mega-flop)
[Epidemic was released September 11 (Denmark) and runs 106 minutes. It was made on the extremely low budget mainly as an experiment to see if a worthwhile film could come from it. The experiment became a precursor for the Dogme movement, which Von Trier co-founded in 1995. Producer Jacob Eriksen's (Rocking Silver (1983)) production company Elementfilm A/S produced only this film. Epidemic was initially shown in just two countries; Denmark and in Portugal at the Fantasporto Film Festival, where Element of Crime had also screened. In its native Denmark, just 5,474 paid admission, which makes the film a major flop despite its tiny budget. Many have subsequently seen it: 3,747 IMDb users have given Epidemic a 6.2/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Epidemic?