Reviews

This is a very overlooked crime movie by Erik Balling. The murder case itself is as confusing as it should be, and the pieces only comes slowly together. Unfortunately the audience let it down in Denmark, back in 1964, demanding comedies from Balling instead. So he never made a serious crime movie again. I personally think that Jan Priiskorn-Schmidt makes one of his best performances ever seen. This 12-13 year old boy, with this hard and calm look, not influenced at all, by acting professional in front of veteran actor Poul Reichhardt. Also Helle Virkner has some good scenes in this film. 6/10 for the movie - 2 extra stars to Jan Priiskorn-Schmidt.

This film is really bad, and gives other good old Danish films, a very bad reputation. Neither Axel Strøbye or Ulf Pilgaard doesn't have anything to work with here. Preben Mahrt, Kai Løvring and Poul Bundgaard is directly annoying. Sonja Oppenhagen is cute though, Baard Owe believable, and Ole Høyer's typical 1970's score is interesting. But that's all. It's very bad slapstick parodies, seen much better in silent movies. So only 3/10 for this bad direction - if any.

This is really something of a surprise, even today. I hadn't seen it before, and it really made me laugh. The maybe typical love story between a workaholic financial guy (played with brilliant arrogance by Poul Reumert), and a different serious typecast of Marguerite Viby as the romanticly naive, equally workaholic secretary. Notice Ib Schønberg and his wonderful dialogue and play, especially the scene, where he desperately tries to sleep. Highly recommendable at all times.

Brilliant movie. Jesper Christensen puts his soul into this part as Kaj, who drinks so much, he's dying. Suddenly his daughter appears, who he has not seen since she was about 4 years, so she can't recognize him. She has a son now, and a violent husband. Kaj just hangs out with the locals on a bench, drinking beers and stronger stuff. He's sunken so low, he's negative towards everything and everybody. But now, where he has a grandson, he wants to pull himself up - to live again. But is it too late? It's so great to watch the similar reality these actors/actresses has put in their roles. Jesper Christensen really deserves some important awards for this part. I also enjoyed Halfdan E.'s score very much.

I've wanted to see this film for quite some time. I liked all the other Bodil Ipsen/Lau Lauritzen-collaborations. This one was the last film, they directed together, but it's still unavailable on VHS/DVD. Lucky me, it was "on cable" the other night, in Denmark. Anyway Lau Lauritzen plays an ordinary architect, with a wife and a son. He gets accused for killing a 10-year old girl, and of course nobody doubts he's the one. Even his wife and his uncle has trouble believing him, but at least they don't tell him. I've never seen such powerful performance from Lau Lauritzen, who changes attitude, almost from scene to scene. Lisbeth Movin also makes a brilliant performance.

I was really surprised at this movie. I have only read bad reviews on it. I found it interesting to study the two lead characters, who usually appeared as supporting cast in their other movies. I think that Bjørn Puggaard-Müller plays great as the middleaged man, who cheats on his wife - from a happy marriage - and falls for the 16 year-old Sonja (Gertie Jung). She might seem innocent, and he thinks he can control the affair. But she might be the one controlling it. I think they both play well, and steals the picture, so I'll rate it above middle: 6/10.

Steen Steensen Blicher's classic novel about the true events in vicar Søren Jensen Quist's life. The facts are that he hit Nils Ibsen with a spade, and Nils didn't die from that event. But did the vicar killed him later on, for not doing his job? Nils' brother Mikkel Ibsen didn't like the vicar. So was the vicar guilty of murder, or was he a victim of miscarriage of justice? I think all the lead caracter makes a excellent cast, especially Karl Stegger as the vicar, who is quite an overlooked actor in general, in my opinion. Maybe the supporting cast could have been better.

Bodil Jørgensen is the star here, as Bente who is the heiress of her fathers farm after his death, he also wished for an arranged marriage with Gorm (Bjarne Henriksen), a typical male from the 1800's. But Bente is too strong a woman for both him, and all the other characters in the film. She's probably 100 years ahead of her time. Very powerful performances by all, and maybe more true to the novels of Morten Korch, than the older films. Only bad thing is the musics main title, that is too annoying compared to the pictures and opening dialogue.

Michael (Poul Reichhardt) is in prison, arrested by the Germans, for sabotage during World War II. First he has a flashback, remembering the time up until the sabotage, where the Germans caught him. We follow the resistance group planning and Michael together with his wife Ruth (Lisbeth Movin). The other half of the film is about tracking an informer inside the group that got Michael and several others in prison. Really great performances by all, and a very realistic plot. Notice especially Per Buckhøj's sympathetic prison guard Steinz. Also an underrated score by Sven Gyldmark, that seems very low mixed in the film. It deserves to be heard for real.

This is a really overlooked thriller from the 1950's Copenhagen. Good thrillers from Denmark are quite rare, and this on reminds of a Hitchcock-stylish movie: A thriller with humor, great lines and a little romantic story on the side, to make the movie varied and interesting. It's mostly set in a cab environment, where we follow some cab drivers in Copenhagen, especially the lead actor Jacob (Lau Lauritzen - also director), who's married to Else (brilliant acted by Lisbeth Movin). Her ex-husband Eigil (Poul Reichhardt in one of his rare parts as bad guys) is committed as a psychopath in an institution. She has nightmares about him, and he manages to escape from the institution, to look her up. Gunnar Lauring steals the show, in every scene he is in, with some unforgettable lines. Paul Hagen and Bodil Steen are also contributing to the humor and romance in the film. Sven Gyldmark also wrote a big and varied score for this film, really worth to re-record for a cd-release.

This film follows two men, the plain Herkules (Ib Schønberg) and the rich Erik (Angelo Bruun). When they were boys, Erik defended his good friend Herkules. And he never forgot that fact. They stay up for each other, no matter that Erik gambles his money away, or what ever happens to Herkules. Great story, but I feel that the movie only survives because of Ib Schønbergs powerful performance as the plain man, fighting for simple justice, defending the little man. "Plat eller krone" means heads or tails, in the meaning of flipping a coin, which Erik does a lot in this movie.

This is one of the best Danish crime movies from the 1950's. A wonderful dark collaboration between Lau Lauritzen, jr. and Johannes Allen. It's about young Egon (Ib Mossin), who ends up with some experienced criminals, and can't get out to get a better life. He has spent much time in child care centers, and youth prison. Some of his equals gets a regular life, and only his girlfriend Ruth wants him out of the criminal life. The film has a great thoughtful ending. Notice especially Ib Mossin's powerful acting, along with Birgitte Bruun's remarkable debut as the intelligent girl, that shows a dumber attitude. She is far away from her part as 'Søs' in Far til Fire (1953) that same year. Sven Gyldmark's score also needs mentioning in short: Brilliant score.

A very young and fresh Marguerite Viby in her very first talking film. The film has a traditional romantic plot: A rich man bets 1 million, with his son, that the "simple" choir-girl Aurora and the son, can stay together for a month, without any arguments whatsoever. Some surprising jealousy tricks are used from both camps. And that fact, plus Kai Normann Andersen's important work with the songs, that became evergreens, makes the film worth seeing even today.

This is a very traditional romantic comedy, about a girl from the country-side, visiting her Uncle, evil aunt and two cousins. An almost arranged marriage is building up, with the cousin she like, and not with the cousin she loves. The real power of this movie, is the supporting cast, especially Helge Kjærulff-Schmidt as the attendant at the castle. And Ib Schønberg is always great to watch, in one of his last films.

This is a third Danish movie from the 1950's, showing a darker side of human nature. The others being Café Paradis (1950) about alcoholism, and Farlig Ungdom (1953) about youth crime. This one shows crime, in the environment of homo-sexuality. We follow young Anton, brilliantly played by Ib Mossin, arriving to Copenhagen from the Danish countryside. He's looking for a decent job, but gets involved in a triangle gang, who tricks older men (who likes younger men) for money. Bundfald means deposit, directly translated. And Anton has a really hard time, getting up from that "bottomless hole", he's in. Very dark film, and talented played. And Sven Gyldmark's strolling score, really deserved the recognition with a Bodil statuette, as well as the directing.

This is the second Poul Bang movie, where Dirch Passer and Ove Sprogøe teams up as the lead comic pair. But it really is Kjeld Petersen, who steals the picture. And it's a great trio, with Bodil Steen on the side. Kjeld Petersen gets his clothes exchanged by a criminal, who has a call up from the army. Now, he has to convince people about the mistake. But not only will they not believe him, they also wont listen to him. Really a great comedy, that still lasts, even today.

A professor's daughter, comes from a rich home, gets amnesia in a very remarkable opening scene, with some eerie underscoring. She gets involved with some low-life people in a slum area. She falls in love with the tough guy (played by Ebbe Rode), who recently got out of prison. He continues his live based on crime, and she follows him. Ib Schønberg, who proved his first character playing talents in this movie, threatens to reveal everything. Also a remarkable score from the beginning of Sven Gyldmark's career.

This is really an original comedy. A slap-stick comedy with great irony, and strange characters. This was Christian Arhoffs first movie after WWII, and he is at his best. Although most funny, in the beginning of the movie. Ib Schønberg play a strange part as a weird psychiatrist. Knud Rex has a serious suicide-attempt, during this all the way comedy. Sven Gyldmarks score works wonders though.

It's one of Denmark's proudest productions ever. It stars Ib Schønberg as the executive, who fires his worker (Poul Reichhardt). The worker fights to stay away from alcholism, with problems at home, while the executive slowly gets more and more addicted to alcoholism himself, with problems at every level. Very strong performances, especially by Ib Schønberg, and a very dark, but suitable score by Sven Gyldmark.