angel74

A compelling drama in which the painful stories of their families intersect through the friendship of two boys. I like Susanne Bier's work very much and she didn't disappoint me with this film either. In a Better World deals with eternal themes such as guilt and forgiveness, whether to respond to violence and bullying in the same way or to rise above it and accept the blow that life deals us... The events surrounding the teenage boys in Denmark are interspersed with events related to a war conflict somewhere in Africa, where the father of one of the boys travels as a doctor to rescue victims of the brutal clashes. Here also arises the inevitable question of whether to heal every wounded person or to leave those who commit great atrocities to their fate. An important part of the film is also the excellently chosen musical accompaniment, which further intensifies the tension of some situations and highlights emotions elsewhere.

It grabbed me from the first episode like no other show before or since, and didn't let go until the final carnage of season five. It was a thrilling ride in every way, and the creators and everyone involved deserve great thanks for the amazing visually-emotional experience!

After the death of her father, who was her only true friend, the slowly unfolding story of an educated, fairly rational woman slides into an emotional dead end where paradoxically she may find the love of her life. The film, woven with decent and un-intrusive humor, is a very pleasant, soul-soothing spectacle.

A mosaic assembled from the stories of lost individuals, united by the desire for love and recognition, or the longing to give love to someone, yet all of them are swept by the boundless adversity of fate. Finnish director Aku Louhimies serves up a hefty dose of depression with his cold Nordic storytelling style, yet at the very end of the film, a glimmer of hope shines for at least some of the characters, hinting at better days ahead. Most of the sadness probably came from the story of the little boy and his beloved dog. This really struck me, especially when confronted with the callous mother bragging to her friends in an alcoholic haze about how she had treated the animal. (80%)

The racist twist right at the beginning didn't sit well with me either, but without it, it would be a completely different film, which would be a great loss. Yvan Attal pleasantly surprised me with how he balanced everything out. Moreover, he managed to choose the central "frenemy" duo very well. Daniel Auteuil (one of my favorite French actors) was at times infuriating in his behavior, but Camélia Jordana (my first encounter with her, and she was absolutely brilliant) held her own against him in every way. On the other hand, they both managed to be very pleasant and I have to say that I really liked them in their roles. While this treatment of the theme of beauty and the power of rhetoric doesn't particularly stand out for its originality, when watching this story spiced with sharp humor, I felt a warm glow in my heart.

Sidse Babett Knudsen proves that she is an actress par excellence with her performance in the title role. Otherwise, however, I am somewhat disappointed by the film. While it is commendable that a film has been made about such a serious case involving the malpractices of a certain pharmaceutical company, the filmmakers failed to convey any emotion to the viewer. It's a bit too descriptive for my taste and I admit that I was bored for about half of it. I would have expected some interesting digressions into the private lives of the main characters of the story, which is based on real events, so that I could better identify with them.

An excellent relationship drama presented absolutely without frills and brilliantly acted. The central theme of domestic violence is extremely strong. Against her parents' wishes, a young girl marries a boy she's attracted to and comfortable with, but on her wedding night, she discovers that he's probably not as great as she pictured. After a year of marriage, she is now regularly physically and mentally abused, but she is unable to leave her husband or report him to the police because she probably still loves him and she also can't seem to fully accept that her parents were right in not liking the object of their daughter's interest. The dire situation continually escalates until it culminates in a real tragedy...

It was watchable, but in terms of plot, it was quite weak, albeit wrapped in a bit of mystery and with some pretty good music. However, after an interesting introduction, it gradually fizzled out into nothing...

A very peculiar story from Iceland flavored with music reminiscent of Emir Kusturica. I genuinely felt sorry for the horses, seeing how terribly their owners sometimes treated them, but on the other hand, the absurdity of some situations really amused me. The height of the monstrosity of the coexistence of man and horse seemed to me to be when, in a snowstorm, a stray young man killed the horse that had carried him on its back all the way, and after eviscerating its entrails, hid in it to survive the cold. Despite such madness, however, the local villagers seemed to genuinely love their horses. I had very mixed feelings while watching the film, but I certainly wasn't bored - I don't think that was possible.

A melancholic Scandinavian tale about the desire to belong somewhere and the inability to come to terms with one's origins, set in the heart of beautiful Nordic nature. Lene Cecilia Sparrok was absolutely wonderful in the title role of the teenage girl. Considering that this was her film debut, I have to give a shout-out to this promising Norwegian actress.