Saturday, May 11, 2013
FALSE START
Today's film was the Danish production of Nikolaj Arcel's
The Enlightenment is on in Europe at large but not in hide bound royalist Denmark.
Something is rotten in the state, indeed.
A group of disaffected nobles gain the services of a German physician who also happens to be a pamphleteer against the nasty right wing religious government that uses the King as a puppet for their own ends.
The Doc gets selected as the King's personal physician and they become fast friends.
At the same time, an English bride has been brought to the court to provide an heir.
Long story short, the doctor and the queen fall in love.
It is all pretty epic given the romance, the tension between the right wingers and the new breed which wants social change.
An old story, just like today, played out in costumery and scenery (Budapest) which is totally gorgeous.
The Danish film industry is an accomplished one and they all turn out here to do their acting and production best.
I really liked this film a lot. It seems that everyone does not live happily ever after but then, in a great little extension at the end, we get some more perspective and realize that it was all worthwhile.
I am not the guy to tell you about this film. It overtook me completely and I was transported into it.
It is very good.
A possible 5 out of Netflix5 if the aura of this afternoon lasts over time.
Mads Mikkelsen, who we have seen before is the hero. Herr Doktor.
Labels: films
