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? 

The Idiots/Idioterne (1998) - Von Trier challenges normalcy and human behavior in his Dogme masterpiece

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+ Best Movie of the Year

+ Best Danish Movie of the Year + Best Experimental Movie of the Year + Most Undeserved Flop Movie of the Year

 

A cast assembly framed upside down, and the promise of a nude Jens Albinus in the lower right corner, makes up this French poster for Lars Von Trier's The Idiots

 

The woman Karen is sitting in a restaurant, where a noisy group of disabled people are also dining. But she finds out that they are actually only 'normal' people from a collective, who just cultivate a private 'sport' of 'spazzing out'.

 

The Idiots is written and directed by Danish master filmmaker, Lars Von Trier (Images of Liberation/Befrielsesbilleder (1982)). It is his 6th feature, and the 2nd film made according to the strict rule set of the Dogme 95 movement, co-founded by Von Trier. It is also the 2nd in Von Trier's Golden Heart trilogy, which also contains masterpiece Breaking the Waves (1996) and Dancer in the Dark (2000).

It is Von Trier's only Dogme film, - an ascetic vow to shoot without major effects and interference, budget or accreditation, among other things, - and it is a fittingly extreme film filled with embarrassing scenes, where both people in the scenes and certainly us watching as audiences are made uncomfortable. The cast of young actors, which contains many of the biggest names in Danish film in the subsequent decades, jump courageously into Von Trier's bizarre pool of ideas with both feet.

Watching The Idiots is a funny and wild experience; it is probably the most pure of the Dogme films, and extremely original. It is a deeply unusual film, which ranks among the best Danish films ever made. At its core The Idiots is an existentially provocative masterpiece.

 

Related posts: 

Lars Von Trier: The House That Jack Built (2018) - Something's amiss in Von Trier's depraved, unpleasant serial killer pic  

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 Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1/De Unge År: Erik Nietzsche Sagaen Del 1 (2007) - Thuesen and Von Trier's hilarious film school comedy (autobiographical screenplay) 

Top 10: Best Danish movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
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)

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Dogville (2003) - Von Trier's implacable, truly unique drama  
The Five Obstructions/De Fem Benspænd (2003, documentary) or, Lars von Trier vs. Jørgen Leth
Dancer in the Dark (2000) or, Selma the Immigrant  

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best drama-thrillers reviewed by Film Excess to date   
Zentropa/Europa (1991) - Von Trier's audacious ode to the heavy continent is a fever dream on celluloid
Epidemic (1987) - Von Trier's trippy, bizarre second film  
The Element of Crime/Forbrydelsens Element (1984) - Von Trier's ultra-strange debut 

 

 

Watch a 5 -minute excerpt from the film here

 

Cost: 2.5 mil. $

Box office: Around 4.68 mil. $

= Big flop (returned around 1.87 times its cost)

[The Idiots premiered 20 May (Cannes Film Festival, in competition) and runs 114 minutes. The script was reportedly written in 4 days, in connection with the creation of the Dogme 95 manifesto. No less than 13 companies were involved with the financing and production of the film. Shooting took place in Denmark around June 1997. It is one of the first films shot entirely on digital cameras. Details about its limited North-American release are not made available online but was likely very small. In the film's main production country Denmark it sold 119,892 tickets, which comes to roughly 8.2 mil. DKK, or approximately 1.31 mil. $. A Danish blog by the head of the cinemas of Denmark informs that the film sold 719k admissions outside of Denmark, and with an average prize of 4.69 $ at the time, that comes to 3.37 mil. $, a total gross of around 4.68 mil. $. The film lost the Palme d'Or to Eternity and a Day. It won a Robert award (Denmark's Oscar), and was nominated for a European Film award. Von Trier returned with 3 TV movie and video short credits priot to his theatrical return with Dancer in the Dark (2000). Bodil Jørgensen (Ronal the Barbarian/Ronal Barbaren (2011)) returned in 4 TV credits prior to her theatrical return in Klinkevals (1999)). The Idiots is fresh at 71 % with a 6.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Idiots? 

Take the Trash/Blå Mænd (2008) - Heide's Danish trash comedy

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The four main stars of Rasmus Heide's Take the Trash look ready to goof it up on this poster

An arrogant IT salesman commits a blunder and receives a community service sentence that is to be effected in a junkyard. Here he learns something about people and fellowship. And meets a sexy lady who for inscrutable reasons comes there quite often.

Take the Trash is written by Mick Øgendahl (All for One/Alle for Én (2011)) and debuting co-writer-director Rasmus Heide (All for Two/Alle for To (2013)).
The script tries to give us an acceptable presentation of its environments, but it seems like Øgendahl and Heide don't have a clue about them. The story is served with a semi-serious tone, but the material is so languid and caricatured that it seems very foolish to think that we would buy any of it.
Thure Lindhardt (Light Thereafter (2017)) is not very funny and far from convincing as the protagonist. Most of Take the Trash's light moments come from Sidse Babett Knudsen (Mona's World/Monas Verden (2001)), who goes all-in as a day-dreaming, lesbian character with a violent streak.
The film is ugly technically and has obvious problems of getting its running time up to a suitable length for a theatrical comedy. Take the Trash is a cheap and poor Danish attempt at nailing the modern farce with American influences. Near its ending the film lets out some extra-tasteless, unfunny gay jokes that stress Øgendahl and Heide's maturity level, which is about at level with a backwards 9 year-old.

Related posts:

Rasmus Heide: All for One/Alle for Én (2011) - Heide and Øgendahl's flawed but funny Danish crime comedy

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess

Watch a trailer for the film here (regrettably without English subtitles)

Cost: 10 mil. DKK, approximately 1.56 mil. $
Box office: Unknown - but likely around 32.8 mil. DKK, approximately 5.11 mil. $
= Box office success (approximately 3.27 times the cost)
[Take the Trash was released 15 August (Denmark) and runs 85 minutes. Shooting took place in Denmark, including Copenhagen, from September - October 2007. The film was a hit in Denmark, its only release country, where it sold 438,047 tickets. If you multiply this by 75 DKK, which was around the average ticket prize in Denmark at the time, you get the 32.8 mil. DKK gross listed above. The film won 2/6 Robert awards (Danish Oscar) - both audience awards. Heide returned with The Christmas Party/Julefrokosten (2009). Lindhardt returned in Little Soldier/Lille Soldat (2008). 3,291 IMDb users have given Take the Trash a 5.8/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Take the Trash?

Shake It All About/En Kort En Lang/Shake It (2001) or, Him or Her?

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Mads Mikkelsen is like a louse caught between two nails on this poster for Hella Joof's Shake It All About

Jacob proposes to his boyfriend, but then falls for a woman, Caroline. - Can he have it all?

Shake It All About is the charming little romcom debut of Danish co-writer-director Hella Joof (Oh Happy Day (2004)), co-written with Klaus Bondam (Sharks/Inkasso/The Collector (2004), actor), based on an idea by producer Thomas Gammeltoft (Good People (2014)) and Michael Christoffersen (Law of the Jungle (2012, documentary), writer-director). It is an incredibly silly film that provides essentially bad and stereotypical characterizations of gays in a lot of ways, but which also served as the upbeat, Danish coming-together LGBT movie of the new millennium.
It is funny, - although undoubtedly mostly for Danes, - and in the laugh section, especially Ditte Gråbøl (Oh Happy Day) and Peter Frödin (Grethe (2016-17)) tickle the ribs with their performances. Troels Lyby (Headhunter (2009)) and Mads Mikkelsen (Men & Chicken/Mænd & Høns (2015)) are both very good in the leads, and Mikkelsen has the added quality of being very easy on the eyes here. Shake It All About wins an extra point for its wholly fantastic ending.

 Watch a 1-minute scene from the film here

Cost:  Reportedly 16.5 mil. DKK, equal to approximately 2.35 mil. $
Box office: Unknown (but projected at around 36-37 mil. DKK)
= Uncertainty (but likely a minor flop)
[Shake It All About was released 16 November (Denmark) and runs 98 minutes. Shooting took place in Christianshavn, Kastrup Airport and other places in Denmark as well as in Malmö, Sweden. It was shown in competition at the Moscow International Film Festival, worth noting in context of Russia's homophobic culture. The film was a big hit in Denmark, where 584,064 paid admission, (but played in 'Biografklub Danmark' [cinema club Denmark], which means that a large portion of the tickets were sold at half prize), but if it hasn't made more of a dent internationally than the few numbers out suggest (6k admissions in Norway; 26k € gross in Italy), it was, at least theatrically, a minor flop. It was nominated for 6 Robert Awards (Danish Oscar), winning the Audience Award, Best Supporting Actor (Lyby), Best Song (Vent på Mig by Martin Brygmann, Frödin and Joof, which was also a huge Danish radio hit for years) and Best Sound. It was also nominated for 2 Bodil Awards (Danish critics' awards). 2,679 IMDb users have given Shake It All About a 6.1/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Shake It All About?

Accused/Anklaget (2005) or, Grey Danish Molestation Misery

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If only Jacob Thuesen's Accused had, as this dull poster might suggest, been a film about a man with a freakishly oversized head, I might have liked it better

Accused presents a story of a man who gets accused of molesting his teenage daughter. 


The great dramatic potential in this premise gets lost in the film in excessive underplaying by the filmmakers: Everything is presented in stylistic, oppressive greys, and all the characters are tight-lipped, quiet and awkward. The charmless minimalist approach doesn't lead to suspense or anything much else, but it does make Accused a cold and severely hard-to-like acquaintance.
SPOILER The judicial protocol and direction the events turn towards could have been interesting. A major issue which also regrettably prevents this is lead Troels Lyby's (The Idiots/Idioterne (1998)) acting, which manifests mostly through his annoying, ever-frowning eyebrows. SPOILER The ending, (in which he crawls around in a street and shouts for kids to get an adult), is simultaneously unrealistic, contrived and sloppy filmmaking. It just doesn't work.
Debuting great Danish filmmaker Jacob Thuesen (The Left Wing Gang/Blekingegade (2009-2010, TV miniseries) has worked as an editor on many Danish films and since directed the funny film of Lars Von Trier's youth, The Early Years: Erik Nietszche Part I/Erik Nietszche: De Unge År (2007).
Accused is written by Kim Fupz Aakeson (The One and Only/Den Eneste Ene (1999)).

 

Related post:

 

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

This short by director Jacob Thuesen is about the LA freeway system

Cost: Unknown, projected 1.44 mil. $
Box office: Unknown, projected 0.6 mil. $
= Some uncertainty, most likely a mega-flop (returned approximately 0.41 times its cost)
[Accused was released 28 January and runs 103 minutes. Little is publicized of the film's production, but its budget could well be modestly projected at around 10 mil. DKK, approximately 1.44 mil. $. The film sold 48,939 tickets in its native Denmark and was screened at several film festivals, including, most prominently, Berlin International Film Festival. It was nominated for 2 Robert awards (Danish Oscars). Thuesen returned with Freeway (2005, documentary) and theatrically with The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1 (2007). Lyby returned in Jul i Valhal (2005, TV-series), Below the Belt/Under Bæltestedet (2006, short) and theatrically in Skymaster/Der Var Engang En Dreng - Som Fik En Lillesøster med Vinger (2006), Sofie Gråbøl (The Day Will Come/Der Kommer En Dag (2016)) in True Spirit/Den Rette Ånd (2005). 1,662 IMDb-users have given Accused a 7.1/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Accused?