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jeppe-jacobsen
Reviews
Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013)
The most important film for me in 2013
I love Lars' films more than many people, I guess. My favorite is "The Kingdom"(Riget), and there was actually in this film (thanx Lars) a cross cut to the opening scene of that series in one of the many cleverly montaged sequences of storytelling. Here: Automatic doors being a metaphor about Joe's genitals. What an imagination... And if you dare watch this movie with an open mind taking into account that you will be challenged, you've got a very nasty, grimy, thought provoking beautiful piece of art here. I cannot express my dismissal enough of the total misunderstanding that this should under any circumstance be gazed upon as a pornographic film. Yes, it has nudity! Yes, there are genitals, there's intercourse. It's NOT a children's movie. This is, however, excellent for intellectual adults who can appreciate or at least accept the need for Lars Von Trier to use these forms of expression, what ever explicit, because: If you understand the storyline and if you actually become interested in Joe's person and psychology, it's really quite obvious that it's not about sex. It's about suffering and sacrifice. Religious themes, basically. Porno, on the other hand, is as far from those terms as anything could ever be. - Like you see it in "Breaking the waves" and "Dancer in the dark", it's portrays another female sacrifice. Another fall. During the watch you will start to feel annoyed by the explicit sex but that's because Lars wants you to feel annoyance as a reference to the suffering, Joe goes through. If that's enough for you to loose interest, then don't try to watch it. You'll be in for more of it. A frenzy of it. If, however, you, like me, find these matters of great importance in the understanding of life in your civilization, then you could be in for one of the most challenging and important films of the decade. I mean it. There is, no matter if you like or not, a new wave and a new level of sexual awareness in the world today that demands attention. There is still "uncharted territory", if you will. That's where Lars Von Trier insist upon taking you in this brave film. I feel like mentioning The Eurovision song contest for taking up the same themes this year but in a childish and indifferent way. For comparison, this film is NOT indifferent and I recommend seeing the film over some time so you let it settle. Four hours is a lot but the time spent is very very important for you to accept what is going on. No spoilers attached.
Den skaldede frisør (2012)
The best romantic comedy I've seen!
My girlfriend talked me into seeing this... he he. Well, I'm not much into Susanne Bier's movies but I think "Hævnen" and "Brødre" are pretty decent after all. So is this one. It's the typical complicated narrative which is Susanne Bier's trademark and it is not always that successful in my opinion. But where as "Hævnen" was quite far stretched at times, this one is actually a lot better. It's hard to understand the very naive traits of the main character Ida (Dyrholm) as the script doesn't really let us get to know very much about her relationship with her husband and kids before she got the illness. The husband "Leif"(Bodnia) is in my opinion a character way too exaggerated to be very interesting. Dyrholms performance is pretty good even though the script for the character is a bit thin. If you like what she has done previously just by her sheer looks, see this one! The aunt, Benedikte, however, a devilish snob (Paprika Steen) is really well played with much enthusiasm, indeed. She is the black humour of the film and it's kind of ironic that her relationship with her own daughter is far far more intriguing than the relationships between any of the other parents and kids. The film is made in the bay of Naples and if I'm not mistaking, many of the panoramas are of the town of Sorrento. this really does portray a very stereotypical romanticized Italy setting which would be worthy of a Hollywood movie. There are many things to be said about this area well worthy of many films but this is not the errand of this one. I think, however much exaggerated and romanticized, the setting of a wealthy upper class environment in the bay of Naples does works well. Especially bearing in mind that the issue of materialism IS touched upon and debated in the film. For a film depicting the conditions and horrors of southern Italy, I recommend "Gomorra" by Matteo Garrone. A very good film! It is very obvious that much of the script writing was done to fit Pierce Brosnan's part. If he hadn't been in it, none of the dialogue would have had to be in English. So, why is he in it? Well, this could have been such a disaster! But luckily it's not - and as much as his part may BE just because of the intention of making this a box office film, an international film, I actually think his role is pretty well written for him. It might not be a world class super performance worthy of an Oscar but the scenes where the sub characters speak danish to him actually do make a story of their own. It makes his appearance seem pretty natural. Philip (Brosnan) has had a Danish wife, he has worked in Denmark for over 20 years. He understands what is said, the others know that! - But he doesn't speak it unless the really has to. This makes for building the character of the reserved Englishman, I believe, and in terms of film narrative, I think this is quite an achievement, really. Brosnan IS actually very very smooth and the lingual reserve gives him the edge he needs to play the part. This way he is not ONLY in the film because all the girls liked him in "Mama Mia". That being said, making his appearance seem natural might have taken a lot of effort. So much so that other aspect have been played down to a degree where we might have a hard time getting under his skin and really understanding his relationship to the son, Patrick, and his mom who died. All in all, "Den skaldede frisør" is a decent film. It has issues, but also potential. I'd give it 6.5.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
No need to summarize.
Before going to the cinema: To me, there's no doubt that Die Hard 1, 2 and 3 were among the finest action films of the 80s and 90s. No. 4 was decent, but I was kind of laid off as he hung on the wing of a Raptor aircraft. That was to me a bit overmuch. I hope this one here captures something more of the humor from the first three films. I really like the idea of it taking place in Russia.
After watching the film: I was immediately apprehensive when I saw it was only 97 min. But of course; rather an appropriate length film than a lengthy film which loses momentum. A good day to die hard, however, put the stove on for high political drama and spy-style thriller, but there is not actually any of the these elements that succeed very well. If it is a spy movie, you are after, then there are Mission Impossible films that are significantly better. John McClane's person is still supplied with a good deal of charm and humor by Bruce Willis, but his son Jack played by Jai Courtney is very shallow and transparent, which is disappointing. The film simply pushes too hard to get started on the car chases, Russian helicopter show offs and so on Therefore it scarcely achieves to establish Jack as McClane's son leaving many questions unanswered. How did he become a CIA agent? How is it that John so quickly just travels to Moscow? There should have been screenplay for at least 30 or 40 minutes more. It contains movie ideas enough. There are both old Russian double-dealing, trafficking of plutonium (or uranium?), Nuclear disaster, etc, etc (great stuff!). There is just none of it being utilized to get characters, plot and drama to come into its own. We are just too quickly paced way onto the final, which takes place in Chernobyl, which is great, and a lot of gunfire and explosions happen, which is well made, but also quite exaggerated and predictable. At one point a storage room with uranium is completely cleared of radioactivity (which is not possible), but I was glad they did it, because otherwise Yuliya Snigir, who plays the villain's Russian femme fatale of a daughter, would have had to wear a mask much of the time, and then I would not have had her to look at as the main attraction. She is though, despite the fact that she is gorgeous, just as superficially told that as the rest of the cast. Well, were the Die Hard films ever anything more than just good mainstream action movies? Yes! I think they were, indeed! Please note that a Die Hard film has always had a very charming and well played villain. In the first we had Hans Gruber, in II: Col. Stuart, in III: Simon Gruber in IV: Thomas Gabriel. In this fiver-sequel here, I can't say there is any villain I am interested in. Sebastian Koch tries hard to get the Komarov-person to function, but there is simply not manuscript material for us to get close enough to him. Bearing in mind - and knowing - that we cannot expect that this film should present us with something even close to Jeremy Irons performance in "Mega hard", this is simply not good enough. Chagarin and Komarov simply remain Russian 1 and Russian 2, which is really annoying since they are both played by good actors. It could have been a good theater film but it is not. It is a home video film at best . 4 of 10
Valhalla Rising (2009)
summary unnecessary
I totally disagree with all reviewers of this title, both positive and negative ones. This is definitely not a masterpiece in disguise and neither a film that is supposed to be good but hard to get. It is avantgarde in its way of expressing it self. A style very much like the one you wouldn't be surprised to see a director like Lars Von trier expressing himself in. I'm here referring to Antichrist especially. The only reason I'd give 4 stars for this film is for the superb photography made here. The make up and the acting from Mikkelsen is similarly well done but even this talent as well as the storytelling talent of Refn is not enough to make it up for a script and a plot that has absolutely no future at all. It is not finished! I simply love the symbology of norse mythology and the mythical clash between the old viking ways and then Christianity taking over. During the first 20 minutes of the film I really look forward to an epic extravaganza of storytelling about "The one eyed", traditionally Odin, and his exploits but the symbology and the total lack of personal background and mission of the characters does that I remain unsatisfied and indifferent towards the film. The Odin symbology and mythology is definitely not told very well and, at best, very incohesive. Refn should, with his renomé, choose more carefully when he selects a script! It's not enough to have Mads Mikkelsen bathe himself and others in blood to make a good film. I'd prefer "Conan the barbarian" as a better b-rated movie any time. If you want to see the film, wait till it arrives on a 5 dollar DVD at your local supermarket!
Gomorra (2008)
Gomorrah
About Gomorrah:
Ciao Matteo! First of all, thanks for recommending these two great films, Gomorrah and Baaria. Now that I've seen the first one I'll just scribble down some thoughts on it for you. I might also post on IMDb so others might get some hints on this film before watching it. It's an avant-garde type film with lots of details that you, especially as a non-native speaker of Italian, have to focus very hard to understand fully. The dialogue is dialect Neapolitan Italian, and for someone, like me for instance, who can speak Italian only to the extent of ordering cheese and ham over the counter in a supermarket, there are definitely loads and loads of points told between the lines in the film which wont fully catch your attention. – Nevertheless, even though this film is not a documentary it remains an important document of fiction in an international context as well since it's documentary stile and multiple narrative takes you right into the human tragedy and mess which the evil circle of poverty and crime ultimately leads to. Nothing new about this fact but, – In modern Italy?, you wonder! A G8 country? If this is indeed a truthful picture, and even if moderately exaggerated like in all fiction, Italy does indeed have social injustice and misery beyond comprehension. The slums portrayed make you think of South America or maybe the worst parts of the US, definitely not a country in the EU.
The story about the development of the two teenage boys stealing guns is particularly interesting in a moral sense along with the side story about the other boy who at some point in the story proves his manhood by being shot in the chest on close range wearing some old used body armour. The meaninglessness always strikes you harder when children fall victims. The tragedy is even more underlined as his mother, the only character surrounding the boy who even slightly seems to object towards conditions, is gunned down in the doorway as her son turns his back on her! In this social class, in this part of the world, Crime, misery and "The Gomorrah" is a spiral part of your heritage, your childhood, your culture and your future. Sad! The only uplifting incident in the movie is towards the end when the waste dumper's hopeful new young apprentice resigns from his job up close and personal in the middle of a country road.
Have a great weekend, Matteo, and take care. Weather here is terrible. I already wish I was back near the Adriatic where it's probably a lot better.
- Jeppe