The Hunt / Jagten 3.5/4

Seen in theater.  Released 2013.
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg 
Written by  Tobias Lindholm, Thomas Vinterberg.
With Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrøm, Susse Wold,  
Anne Louise Hassing,  Lars Ranthe

 This is a very powerful film.  It is a true nightmare for anyone who works with kids.

I kindergarten teacher, in the midst of trying to get his life together after a divorce, is accused of inappropriate behavior with one of his students.  He is innocent (not a spoiler since it is clear from the beginning that he is) but ends up trying to defend himself while all his attempts at trying to get his life together again have fallen apart.  The town treats him brutally.  

One of the most interesting things about this movie is how the accusation came about.  Basically, the adults took some foolish thing a 5 year old says and elevates it.  Also the child says this "accusation" in a fit of temper and only says it because her older brother inadvertently showed her some pornography.  But the adults believe that a child can only tell the truth.  Definatlty food for thought.  Any one that has a child knows that children will test the boundaries of truth and reality.

I can say the usual things that explain why I like the film so much; great acting, beautiful cinematography etc.  It's all true.  But the most outstanding thing about the film is how powerful it is, which bears repeating.



 

 And it looks as it if there is a clip too!   It's early in the film, so again, not a spoiler.

Everyone Else / Alle Anderen 3/4

Released in 2009.  Seen on DVD.
Directed and written by Maren Ade.
With Lars Eidinger, Birgit Minichmayr, Hans-Jochen Wagner, Nicole Marischka

A Young couple, Gitti and Chris are on vacation on the Italian island of Sardinia.  It is basically a film about their relation and young love.  The couple are seemingly mismatched.  Chris is a little uptight, arrogant, intellectual and elusive.  Gitti is a free spirit.  She gets annoying and he get mean and huffy.  Everything is fine when together by themselves, but then they meet an older more established couple and they start to compare themselves to this couple and it seems unfavorable, at least to them.  The relationship starts to disintegrate.

I thought it was a real interesting study on relationships.  I also like the acting and the setting.   It is a 'talky' film, which is not to everyone's taste, but it had a lot of interesting themes being discussed and acted out.

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