Kim17 Reviews

Detektor (2000)

The restoration of the Norwegian movie industry (sort of)

[7/10 · 4 January 2001]

This is one of the greatest domestic movie successes in Norway in years, not only scoring very well at the box-office here, but also achieving some rave reviews from the press. The two has usually been a rare combination for a Norwegian movie, but 2000 finally saw such an anticipated result coming.

Admittedly, Detektor has a lot going for it, screenplay by Norway's most successful novelist in recent years, and starring the most promising actor Norway has seen in years, as well as a very well-known comedian.

However, in my opinion, Detektor doesn't really deliver. There are indeed some very amusing scenes, and the actors over-all do a good job, but the story-line itself is weak and rather bland, and there's really nothing that compelling about it, except a couple of rather surprising turns in some places.

As for people raving about this making it abroad, I can't see it happening really, as very much of its appeal, which is the humour, as far as I can see, probably won't go down that well with foreigners (e.g. the Sami private detective).

Despite my disappointment, it's pleasing to see that people's faith in Norwegian movies seems somewhat restored. A movie that scored with both the audience AND the press was heavily needed, even though I personally don't think that much of the one that actually made it. Here's hoping there'll be some making it in 2001 as well, and hopefully I will be able to justify those more than this one...

Music from Another Room (1998)

Amusing and well-acted

[8/10 · 29 December 2000]

Music From Another Room is the story of Danny (Jude Law), returning to his US hometown after spending over 20 years in England with his father, who has now passed away. By coincidence, he runs into the Swan family, who his father and himself used to be acquainted with, and especially one of the daughters, the beautiful Anna (Gretchen Mol), catches his attention. Before Danny moved to England, he helped setting Anna to this world by removing the chord that was twisted around her neck during her birth, and at that point, he exclaimed a wish to marry her someday...

This is first of all a romantic comedy, with Danny's chase for Anna as the main plot, and quite a lot of interesting sub-plots and characters. It is most enjoyable, and in the end a real feel-good movie. The script is intelligent, and at times, extremely funny. Especially Danny's landlord, Mr. Klammer, has got some killer lines early on.

The acting is also excellent. Jude Law is his usual self, well-acting and beautiful, Brenda Blethyn can do no wrong on the screen, it seems, and Gretchen Mol shows that she is more than just a pretty face. But the real stand-out performance is Jennifer Tilly as the blind sister Nina...I'm really wondering when she's going to go get the recognition she obviously deserves... A great cast all together.

The film has a few flaws, the most notable being a rather predictable story, but excellent acting and witty writing more than make up for that. Overall, Music From Another Room is a highly recommendable romantic comedy, far better than most straight-on-video stuff.

Mifune (1999)

Fabulous!

[10/10 · 27 December 1999]

I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying that I was blown away by this movie. It is a great story, with a wonderfully witty script, and the whole cast put up top-notch performances. Especially Iben Hjejle shines as Liva. Fabulous!

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

The worst movie I have seen in a long time!!

[2/10 · 2 October 1999]

This movie amused me, not because of witty lines from any of the characters or anything like that, but because the whole thing was SUCH a low-quality affair.

The whole plot was, to me, completely unrealistic, so were the sharks themselves, and they ate every human they found in the same stupid and over-dramatic way.

It wasn't exciting or scary or anything...just boring and predictable the whole way through. Save your money, that's my advice.

Misery Harbour (1999)

A fascinating and dramatic story

[9/10 · 30 September 1999]

"Misery Harbour" is the story of the young Dane Espen Arnakke's (Coster Waldau) life, which he tells us about through a book he is writing some years later, read by his friend Jenny (von der Lippe). About his rather miserable adolescence in the Danish town of Jante, his escape from there on board a ship on its way to Newfoundland, his life in Canada, and how one person can spoil so much for another, John Wakefield (Graham).

Directed by Nils Gaup ("Ofelas", Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film in 88), it is a visual delight, accompanied by some great music, which suits the atmosphere perfectly. The storyline is also fascinating, showing how Espen gets to learn that the norm from his hometown, basically saying that you aren't supposed to believe you are anything, exists in other places as well. The acting is solid throughout, especially by Stuart Graham, who manages to keep a certain nerve to the cruel character he plays until the very end.

Overall, I must say I was impressed (and it's not often I say that about a Norwegian production), and if you bump over it, you should see it.

Cookie's Fortune (1999)

Fair enough

[7/10 · 5 September 1999]

"Cookie's Fortune" is an extremely dire film up until the murder takes place (a rather long while, may I point out), but from there on it is pretty entertaining.

The cast is impressive, and I have this strange feeling that Glenn Close might be in for her first Oscar with her performance in "Cookie's Fortune". Her character is the one we're used to see her playing; a bitch with no conscience whatsoever, and with a psychotic outburst at the end. It's solid, but far from her fantastic performance in "Fatal Attraction", but just look at Jessica Lange, who finally won best leading actress for her performance in "Blue Sky", far from being her best, and obviously a compensation for all the times she was overlooked by the Academy in the 80's. I think the same will happen to Close. Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler and Chris O'Donnell deliver good performances as well.

"Cookie's Fortune" is a fair enough film. Pretty good entertainment, but not a must-see.

Wilde (1997)

Almost perfect

[10/10 · 3 September 1999]

This film portrays Oscar Wilde in a totally remarkable way. It should probably have focused more on his writing than on his personal life, but beyond that choice, the film is almost perfect.

When it isn't completely perfect, it has to do with the plot, which has some rather weak points. The love between Wilde and Bosie is somewhat difficult to understand. They are completely different. Maybe opposites attract, but not when two people live in two completely different worlds, like Wilde and Bosie seem to do. Of course, one could look at it from a cynical point of view, and say that they both have what the other one want; Wilde has money and Bosie looks, but one can also look at it in a romantic way, give them the benefit of the doubt, and think that they really are in love. That makes the story nicer (for a while), and much, MUCH more interesting!

Beyond that, I have only positive things to say about "Wilde". The script is fabulous, and adding a double story by putting in one of his nursery stories, was a great move! One of the most best parts of the film, is Wilde's speech in court. Really touching! The ending could easily have become extremely sentimental, but that is cleverly avoided.

Stephen Fry shines as Oscar Wilde. He is so credible, and does his job so well that if I didn't know better, I'd actually think that it really WAS Wilde I saw on the screen. Law and Redgrave also put in top notch performances.

Everyone will probably not appreciate this film as much as I did (it is a matter of whether you can deal with gay sex or not, and like dramas of course), but give it a try! It deserves two hours of your time, and much much more!

Cruel Intentions (1999)

Soap opera

[5/10 · 15 August 1999]

Gellar, Philippe and Witherspoon all did pretty good jobs. Philippe was actually much better than expected, as I had seen him in "54" some weeks before, and thought a rock could have done a better job than him in that movie! Witherspoon has done better though, and is without a doubt the most talented of the three.

It certainly isn't their fault that I found this movie to be below average. Granted, it is not as heavy as the previous films based on the same book, and it does work pretty well up until the turning point, but from there I only have one word for it: PATHETIC! The clichés are lined up along the way. We've seen all of this many times before, and it has for sure been done better.

You get a little of everything: sex, intrigues, sadness. At least nothing you won't find in a regular soap opera. So go see that instead, and don't waste your money on this movie.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Very good film, but terrible music!

[9/10 · 15 August 1999]

Before I saw "Dangerous Liaisons", I had seen the most recent adaption of the same book, "Cruel Intentions", and found it to be so cliché-ridden that I nearly vomited. Therefore, I was rather sceptic before I put "DL" into my VCR. But I was wrong! This turned out to be a fab film, and I was especially impressed by the ending. The acting is superb. Glenn Close is wonderfully cruel as Marquise de Merteuil, and John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer were also great. The cinematography is beautiful, and the costumes correct and appropriate. The only thing I can complain about, was the music. It was way too dramatic, and more suitable for a war drama or a crime mystery. Otherwise, this was a great film, which I would recommend to everyone who likes dramas.

Anastasia (1997)

Everything an animation movie should have

[9/10 · 2 August 1999]

This was a really great animation movie! I didn't expect that much from 'Anastasia', since it hadn't got too good reviews in the papers. But they proved to be wrong. 'Anastasia' is a wonderful story, with some excellent songs, especially 'Journey To The Past' and 'Once Upon A December', and some of the scenes are just pure magic, like when Anya is inside the old castle dreaming of how it once was there. The graphics are also amazing. Very few animation scenes can compete with the train scene here, which looks extremely realistic.

'Anastasia' has a great story, some wonderful songs and fantastic graphics. I highly recommend it!

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Setting: 1996, Screenplay: 1596

[4/10 · 2 August 1999]

This just didn't work for me. People in a modern society walking around and speaking Shakespeare to each other...come on!!! Not that I have anything against Shakespeare, he's one of my favourite writers, but the setting for this film is 400 years too late. It just doesn't work!!!

The Sum of Us (1994)

Highly recommended!

[7/10 · 29 July 1999]

Wow! This movie was much more than I thought it would be. I thought it would be just another gay movie along the lines of "Beautiful Thing", at least that's what I was told before I saw it, but that is just a sub-plot. First of all, this is a story about the relationship between a father and a son, and the problems they have to deal with. It is extremely sad, and be sure to have a handkerchief ready, but it's a great film, even though it gets a little too sentimental at the end.

Sebastian (1995)

Yuck!

[1/10 · 11 July 1999]

Wam & Vennerød have produced quite a lot of gay films over the years, and this one proved to be like its predecessors, it was so bad that it was entertaining, and not in any way managing to send out the message it was supposed to in a fashionable way.

To make it short, the plot is realistic, but it is carried off with an extremely superficial and cliché-ridden screenplay. The acting is not in any way credible, except if we are supposed to believe that the mother is psychopath. The cinematography is nice, but there are so many scenes that doesn't have anything to do with the story, and should have been edited away, but on the other hand the film would probably have been half an hour long or something like that. I guess that says it all; a very weak story, but the whole thing is very entertaining if you choose to watch it with such an attitude.

As a serious film with a serious message, it's worth nothing, but if you want to have fun, see it! If not, see "Beautiful Thing" 100 times before you dare laying your hands on this one!