In the Blood/I Blodet (2016) - Youth in Copenhagen captured in striking debut

♥♥♥♥

 

+ Best Copenhagen Movie of the Year

 

Young, nearly adult characters superimposed with the tagline 'tomorrow we become adults' on the pleasant poster for Rasmus Heisterberg's In the Blood

 

Simon is a young student of medicine, who shares a flat with several other young friends and parties abundantly. He and his best friend Knud have a plan to travel out and have a longer stay abroad in Bolivia.

 

In the Blood is written and directed by debuting Rasmus Heisterberg (King's Game/Kongekabale (2004)). The title is a literal translation of the original Danish one.

Exceptionally fine photography (by Niels Thastum (Exit Plan/Selvmordsturisten (2019))) roots our situation of being observing outsiders to an intimate portrayal of youth here, heightening this very Copenhagen film. What it portrays is the intoxicating, anxiety-provoking time as a young free person; that time which for most people in hindsight seems to have lasted too shortly.

The acting, if not flawless, is good throughout. At one point I tired some with the drinking-obsessed, low brow friends, (why couldn't they have been a bit more differentiated, charming, funny?), SPOILER and then the film develops a bit anticlimactically, since the Bolivia plan never materializes. As so often happens, the 'small story' is chosen over the larger one, in a Danish picture. In the Blood, as also habitually happens, was overly celebrated locally, but it is still a good movie.

 

Related posts:

 

Rasmus Heisterberg: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Department Q: The Absent One/The Absent One/Fasandræberne (2014) - Nørgaard's second Q movie picks up some slack (co-writer)

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

Truth About Men/Sandheden om Mænd (2010) - Arcel's witty meta-dramedy (co-writer)

Cecilie (2007) - Well-made but unoriginal Danish horror (co-writer) 

Fighter (2007) - Arthy makes good youth drama with propulsive kung fu (co-writer) 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown, projected 1.46 mil. $ (10 mil. DKK)

Box office: Approximately 529k $

= Mega-flop (projected return of 0.36 times its cost)

[In the Blood premiered 10 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 104 minutes. Shooting took place in Denmark, including in Copenhagen, in Germany and Thailand. The film sold only 6,006 tickets in Denmark, the only market in which it had a general release. It was also screened at 8 festivals. If made on a realistic first feature low budget of 10 mil. DKK, the film would rank as a mega-flop. It was nominated for 8 Robert awards (Denmark's Oscar), winning one. Heisterberg has not returned as a director since and has taken a long break from films in fact; though he is finally returning as co-writer on Joshua Oppenheimer's hotly anticipated The End (2024). Kristoffer Bech (Stjernestøv (2020, TV-series)) returned in Hjertestart (2017); Elliott Crosset Hove (Before the Frost/Før Frosten (2018)) in Across the Waters/Across the Waters (2016). 746 IMDb users have given In the Blood a 6.0/10 average rating.]

 

What do you think of In the Blood? 

Department Q: The Absent One/The Absent One/Fasandræberne (2014) - Nørgaard's second Q movie picks up some slack

♥♥♥

At least three elements are ominously superimposed on this dark poster for Mikkel Nørgaard's Department Q: The Absent One

Special investigator Carl and his work partner Assad get engaged in a 20 year-old double murder case, as new evidence makes indicate that the wrong individual was punished.

Department Q: The Absent One is written by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg (Fighter (2007), both), with great Danish director Mikkel Nørgaard (Klown Forever/Klovn Forever (2015)) supplying concept elements, adapting The Absent One/Fasandræberne (2008) by Jussi Adler-Olsen (The Scarred Woman/Selfies (2016)).
It is the second in the Department Q franchise, which spans 4 films so far, and as such another loud crime thriller without psychological or thematic depths worth mentioning.
Nikolaj Kaas (Parterapi (2010)), Fares Fares (Fakiren fra Bilbao (2004)) and Danica Curcic (Nobel (2016, miniseries)) do well, and the plot is a good deal better than the one from the first film, Department Q: The Keeper of Lost Causes/Kvinden i Buret (2013).
The big problem is again that we get no explanation of Carl's enormous personal investment in his job and in the case in this film. The film draws on cliches: The new secretarial colleague to Carl and Assad is a well-organized and caring younger woman; Carl smokes like a chimney nonstop; and one of the rich, evil villains is into bondage and is a violent psychopath. The original Danish title translates to 'the pheasant killers', a title which is pointless and silly: No pheasants are killed in the film, and what should be egregious about it, if there were?

Related posts:

Mikkel Nørgaard: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Klown Forever/Klovn Forever (2015) - A raunchy laugh smash
The Keeper of Lost Causes/Kvinden i Buret (2013) or, Grumpy and Ethnic Find a Woman in a Pressure Chamber
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]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess     
Klown/Klovn - The Movie (2010) - Nørgaard, Hvam and Christensen strike comedy gold

Watch a teaser for the film here

Cost: 5.2 mil. €, approximately 5.72 mil. $
Box office: 11.5 mil. $
= Flop (returned 2.01 times its cost)
[Department Q: The Absent One premiered 18 September (Austin Fantastic Fest, Texas) and runs 120 minutes. 7.15 mil. DKK, or approximately 1.05 mil. $, was awarded the film as co-financing from the Danish Film Institute; total financing came from 14 companies. Shooting took place in Germany and Denmark, including Copenhagen, from September 2013-?. The film had a simultaneous  limited theatrical and VOD release in North America in 2016 but all of its gross numbers are from European markets: In main production country Denmark the film set a new opening record for a Danish film and sold 753,837 tickets in total, the year's best-selling movie in the country, making up the vast majority of the gross, 11.1 mil. $ (96.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Poland with 120k $ (1 %) and Norway with 118k $ (1 %). It won 2/13 Robert nominations. The Department Q franchise returned with Department Q: A Conspiracy of Faith (2016) by Hans Petter Moland, with returning stars Kaas and Fares. Nørgaard returned with Klown Forever/Klovn Forever (2015). Kaas returned first in Men & Chicken/Mænd & Høns (2015)); Fares in Child 44 (2015)). Department Q: The Absent One is fresh at 92 % with a 6.5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Department Q: The Absent One?

Fighter (2007) - Arthy makes good youth drama with propulsive kung fu

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Kung Fu Movie of the Year

Semra Turan as the titular fighter sends a determined stare on this simple but effective poster for Natascha Arthy's Fighter

Aicha is a young woman in Denmark with Turkish roots, whose life sometimes is a balancing act for her between the sweet Danish boy she is fond of, her obdurate Muslim family, school life and her passion for kung fu.

Fighter, written by great Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel (Catch that Girl/Klatretøsen (2002)), Rasmus Heisterberg (A Royal Affair/En Kongelig Affære (2012)) and co-writer-director Natascha Arthy (Old, New, Borrowed and Blue/Se til Venstre, Der Er En Svensker (2003)), is a surprisingly good Danish youth martial arts romance-drama with social realism elements.
Debuting Semra Turan (The Protectors/Livvagterne (2009), TV-series) and Cyron Melville (Love and Rage/Vanvittig Forelsket (2009)) do well in the main parts, and the drama is gripping. Aicha as a character follows the classic recipe of getting mowed over for much of the film in Fighter, - only to charge back like a cannonball for its climax.
The film's scoop is undoubtedly its signing of Xian Gao (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)) to choreograph the fights and stunts, which raises Fighter and makes it stand out as something of a rarity in Danish cinema; an actual Danish martial arts film.
Minor flaws and repetitions don't defeat this solid cultural gulf/kung fu gem.

Related post:

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Watch the Danish trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown - reportedly 4 mil. $
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain - but likely a flop, perhaps even a mega-flop
[Fighter was released 14 December (Denmark) and runs 100 minutes. Shooting took place between October 2006 - March 2007 in Copenhagen, Denmark. 52,189 paid admission to see it in its native Denmark, far from enough to let it get near to success, - especially if the reported 4 mil. $ budget is accurate. It was released in several other markets including at 14 festivals. Without numbers from its other markets, its status can only be tentatively set to that of flop. It was nominated for 3 Bodil awards (the Danish film critics' awards). Turan has only had a part in the Danish The Protectors/Livvagterne TV-series in 2009 since the film. Arthy returned directing TV-series Lulu & Leon (2009), The Killing/Forbrydelsen (2012) and Heartless (2014) and theatrically with the panned comedy Comeback (2015). 1,351 IMDb users have given Fighter a 6.6/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Fighter?

Truth About Men/Sandheden om Mænd (2010) - Arcel's witty meta-dramedy

♥♥♥♥

 

'An (anti)romantic comedy' reads the translated tagline on this Danish poster for Nikolaj Arcel's Truth About Men

 

Mads is in his 30s; he has moved into a house with his girlfriend, who now feels broody. He then moves out and gets a younger girlfriend, until she splits on him, and he also has problems with his writing. Alas and alack!

 

This midlife-crisis dramedy is skillfully told and visualized, as could be expected from its great Danish co-writer-director Nikolaj Arcel (King's Game/Kongespil (2004)). It's got poignant lines and lots of material to mirror ourselves in, (whether we want to or not.) And Thure Lindhardt (Keep the Lights On (2012)) is good in the lead.

Detractors: SPOILER The 'good story' fanaticism of the film's structure gets the best of it towards the end. And the closing point of the basic mediocrity of life just sucks.

Truth About Men is written by Arcel, Rasmus Heisterberg (A Royal Affair/En Kongelig Affære (2012)) and Lars Kaalund (Hjørdis (2015), TV-series).

 

Related reviews:

 

Nikolaj Arcel: The Keeper of Lost Causes/Kvinden i Buret (2013) or, Grumpy and Ethnic Find a Woman in a Pressure Chamber (writer) 

A Royal Affair/En Kongelig Affære (2012) or, Mad King of Denmark!  (co-writer-director)

Cecilie (2007) - Well-made but unoriginal Danish horror  (co-writer)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Unknown (but likely a big flop)

[Truth About Men was released October 7 (Denmark) and runs 91 minutes. It was made with support from the Danish Film Institute and DR (Danish public radio and TV). Its budget is undisclosed. It sold 94,998 tickets in its native Denmark and was also released in Germany and in festivals in Sweden and Finland. Unless any of these markets boomed to a surprising degree, the film should probably be counted as a big flop. It got nominated for 12 Roberts and Bodils in Denmark. It was also chosen as Denmark's candidate for the Nordic Council's Film Prize. 1,038 IMDb-users have given Truth About Men a 6.8/10 average.]

What do you think of Truth About Men?

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

♥♥♥♥

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?

Cecilie (2007) - Well-made but unoriginal Danish horror

♥♥♥♥

The poster for Hans Fabian Wullenweber's Cecilie

QUICK REVIEW:

Cecilie is an effective, Danish shocker, which draws heavily on several horror movies from the 10-15 years preceding it, but works, although without inventing anything new. An essentially trite horror flick as Cecilie isn't any better just because it's Danish.
Sonja Richter (The Woman Who Dreamed of a Man/Kvinden Der Drømte om en Mand (2010)) is good, and the film's cold look supplies goosebumps, and then there are some fairly good scenes: SPOILER The hypnosis scene and the youth party for example are not bad at all.
But still, though Cecilie works in some ways impeccably, it is far from sophistication.
It is directed by Roskilde-born director Hans Fabian Wullenweber (The Killing/Forbrydelsen (2007-12)) and scripted by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg.

Sonja Richter doesn't know who to trust, in Hans Fabian Wullenweber's Cecilie

Watch the trailer with English subtitles here

Budget: Unknown
Box office: Unknown
= Unknown

What do you think of Cecilie?
What's the best Danish horror movie you've seen?
And from the other Scandinavian countries?