Jesper Christensen Movies
Multilingual Scandinavian actor Jesper Christensen juggled cinematic, television and theatrical roles with great aplomb, but spent several decades in mostly local fare and only began to receive international crossover attention after he reached middle age. Born in 1948, Christensen signed for some of his first professional roles on northern European television during the mid-'70s in such long-form features as Luder (1975), Ellen's Sang (1975), and Stroemer (1976). He subsequently moved into big screen Scandinavian features, hitting his peak with Kjell Grede's ingenious but criminally overlooked life in the arts drama Hip Hip Hurrah! (1987) and Grede's well-received follow-up, Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg (1990). Several key roles brought Christensen audience exposure in the U.S., catalyzed by his star-making turn in the Dogme comedy Italian for Beginners; these included contributions to the 21st and 22nd James Bond vehicles, Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 1977
Jastrau (Ole Ernst) is an uncompromising individualist with strong ideals. In this drama based on Tom Kristensen's best-selling autobiographical novel, Jastrau is an art critic who is being urged to temper his ferocious opinions by his newspaper, in part because he is stepping on too many toes, politically. This violation of his sense of journalistic ethics, and his sense of being trapped in a bourgeois marriage, lead him to drink. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ole Ernst, Kirsten Peuliche, (more)
- 1978
Told from the point of view of a young man who is so naive as to appear simple-minded, the movie follows a few days in the lives of the unemployed living on the dole in 1930s Copenhagen. It is based on the 1940 autobiographical novel by Eigil Jensen. The main character (Jesper Christensen) hopes for snow, so that he can earn some coins to pay for his sparse, tiny room by shoveling the streets. One of his acquaintances is a man, known as "The Weightlifter," who steals books and passes them on to the poor young man. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesper Christensen, Kirsten Olesen, (more)
- 1980
A young couple struggling with sterility is the subject of this below-average Danish kitchen-sink drama typical of the 1970s. Susanne (Karen Lise Mynster) and Morten (Jesper Christensen) want children like anybody else, but Morten proves to be sterile. They go through the inevitable hospital tests and start seeing other people. The marriage is on the verge of collapse, but true love ultimately keeps it together. The film was director Aase Schmidt's first feature after many years of stage work. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen-Lise Mynster, Jesper Christensen, (more)
- 1981
This farce, tinged by social commentary, begins when a worker named Age (Nesper Christensen) is dumped by his girlfriend Else (Ulla Henningsen) for the death of their sex life, killed off by Age's overwork and exhaustion. Else also evicts his buddy Viggo (Tommy Kenter) from the living quarters that had been shared by the three of them. On the heels of that indignity, the two homeless friends lose their jobs at the factory where they both work, and then find themselves trying to escape a fate worse than death as the subjects of an experiment by an evil industrialist and his like-minded daughter. Eventually, life takes a turn for the better as they escape the unknown terrors planned by the menacing father-daughter duo. Age's exploits are interspersed or sometimes highlighted by Viggo's sax performances (by JesperThilo, an accomplished tenor saxaphonist), one of the better features of the film. The work of Hans Kristensen as a writer and director, with Hans Hansen as a cowriter, although known for its social commentary, cedes stage center to farcical humor here - for better or worse. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesper Christensen, Tommy Kenter, (more)
- 1987
This plodding, depressing drama concerns the 19th-century painters who were collectively know as the Skaw (or Skagen) Colony. The group rejected the Impressionist style of painting, opting for the realism of natural light and using the lives of the poor fishing villagers as their inspiration. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård
- 1988
Virtually unknown in English-speaking countries, Emma's Shadow was one of the most popular Danish films of the 1980s, and a winner of several awards in the bargain. Emma, an impulsive 11-year-old girl, is portrayed by Line Kruse. Tired of being neglected by her wealthy parents, Emma fakes her own kidnapping. She hides out with an impoverished Copenhagen sewer worker. Things take a serious turn halfway through, but a lighthearted "Pippi Longstocking" atmosphere pervades the picture throughout. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Line Kruse, Börje Ahlstedt, (more)
This historical drama chronicles the struggle of Swedish businessman Raoul Wallenberg (Stella Skarsgard), as he fought valiantly to save the lives of the Jewish residents of Nazi-occupied Budapest. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Katharina Thalbach, (more)
- 1990
Donna (Birgitte Simonsen) has boyfriends, but she loves Britt (Hanne Windfeld Lund). Britt loves Donna back, but she's going to get married to a man who's probably not good husband material (Ole Lemmkeke). The two of them try to make sense of their lives and loves, but ultimately they are only sure that they care about each other. It turns out that some of their men care about each other, too. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ole Lemmeke
- 1992
Based on the 1932 novel Mendel Philipsen and Son by Henri Nathansen, Sofie was adapted for the screen by celebrated actress Liv Ullmann, making her directorial debut. Beginning in Copenhagen during the late 1880s, Sofie (Karen-Lise Mynster) is a devoted Jewish daughter who falls in love with the Gentile painter Hojby (Jesper Christensen). Her parents, Semmy (Erland Josephson) and Frederikke (Ghita Nørby), don't approve of the relationship, so they encourage her to marry her mentally ill cousin, a Swedish shopkeeper named Jonas (Torben Zeller). She gives birth to a son, but their already loveless marriage becomes further complicated when Sofie develops an interest in her brother-in-law Gottleib (Stig Hoffmeyer). Jonas is inconsolable after the death of his mother (Kirsten Rolffes), so much so that Sofie has him institutionalized and takes over his business. Years later, Sofie returns to Copenhagen with her son to help her aging parents and attend an auction where she reunites with Hojby. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen-Lise Mynster, Erland Josephson, (more)
- 1995
This dark Swedish comedy-drama is based on director Mats Arehn's memories of his father. The story is told from Arehn's point of view when he was a child. Palle Hagmann, a 1940's Swedish vaudeville singer is popular. He would be really popular were it not for his reputation for lying and cheating. He rationalizes to his son by explaining the different kinds of lies available. He admonishes him that white lies should be saved for the self. Hagmann tells white ones frequently and with increasing regularity; they get him into trouble. Hagmann moves his family around frequently until they finally end up in the South of France attempting to manage a hotel. Despite Hagmann's largely self-created problems, he remains a devout optimist. Arehn's exploration of his father creates a tragic scenario that ultimately culminates in love and forgiveness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This Danish children's film compares and contrasts the lives of rich and poor while telling the upbeat story of the friendship between two eleven-year-old girls. The girls are neighbors outside of Copenhagen. Maj-Britt's parents are both unemployed, but remain amiable as they try to scrape by. Her father spends his free hours raising and training racing pigeons. Christina's family are both working professionals with aspirations of social grandeur. Her mother loves to throw posh soirees and is uptight and finicky about their household. Despite their differences, Maj-Britt and Christina are best friends, until the latter's parents end up serving some of Maj's father's squabs for supper. The battle ends when they both try to help mend a pigeon's broken wing. It is good that they have separated this bird for one day a predatory marten swoops in and slaughters the rest of the flock, leaving it up to the girls and their pigeon to concoct a secret plan and save the day. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This powerful Scandinavian biopic chronicles the fall of one of Norway's most respected authors, Knut Hamsun (played by Max von Sydow in one of his most acclaimed performances) who up until WW II was considered one of the greatest Norwegians of the 20th century. At the dawn of the war, the Nobel Prize winning author shocked his countrymen by publicly siding with the Nazis. His wife Marie took it a step further and went to Germany to give lectures. Following the war, both were convicted and branded as traitors. Hamsun attempts to answer the questions surrounding the author and his wife's treachery. By the time the war erupted, Hamsun was an elderly curmudgeon who could barely hear. A profoundly lonely man with hatred of British Imperialism, he was an easy target for Nazi propaganda. His wife Marie, who in Norway is still more vilified than her husband, also had her reasons to support the German party, but while though-provoking, they don't invite much sympathy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This Danish-Swedish-Norwegian film takes place off the coast of Denmark in the mid-18th Century. In 1760, timid 25-year-old pastor Poul (Lars Simonsen) arrives to serve at the rainswept Faroe Islands community of Torshavn where parishioners tell him about the scandalous behavior of young Barbara Christina Sallin (Anneke von der Lippe). Eventually, despite warnings, Poul marries her. When Barbara enters into an affair with a student from Copenhagen, Poul is pressured to prosecute his own wife for the crime of fornication. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anneke von der Lippe, Lars Simonsen, (more)
- 2000
A man is given one last chance to repair a broken relationship with his daughter in this downbeat drama. Kaj (Jesper Christensen) once had both self-respect and a solid career as a chef, but these days he's an alcoholic who spends most of his days drinking with a handful of companions in a suburban park near Copenhagen. Liv (Stine Holm Joensen) is a woman trying to run away from a bad relationship with her abusive husband Lars (Lars Brygmann); she and her son Jonas (Marius Sonne Janischefska) move into an apartment near the park, and Kaj is shocked to discover she is the daughter he abandoned nearly two decades before. Kaj invites Liv to dinner only to realize that she isn't sure who he is -- and that she's not at all happy to discover he is her father. When Liv finds herself in dire financial circumstances, she turns to Lars, whose violent temper hasn't mellowed. As Kaj's drinking spirals out of control, he receives a call from Liv; she's in the hospital, seriously injured in a fight with Lars, and she needs Kaj to look after Jonas. Baenken was the first feature film from writer and director Per Fly. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesper Christensen
The Dogma 95 movement has seen some searing looks into the human condition but rarely a romantic comedy -- until now. Veteran Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig spins this deadpan look at a group of lovelorn outsiders living in a grey corner of Copenhagen. After the perennially foul-tempered minister of a local church is fired after doing great injury to the organist, Andreas moves to the area to take over the parish. Staying in a hotel until his predecessor can be wrested from the rectory, Andreas befriends the establishment's scatter-brained manager, Jørgen, who is utterly in love with a beautiful Italian barmaid working at a nearby pub run by Hal-Finn. When the irascible Hal-Finn is chastised by the bar's owner for his unkempt appearance, he goes to a local salon where he meets Karen, a comely hairdresser harried by her grasping mom. Meanwhile, Andreas falls for a lethally klutzy pastry shop assistant named Olympia. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anders W. Berthelsen, Peter Gantzler, (more)
Uprising is based on the true story of the Jewish Fighting Organization, a courageous band of youthful Polish guerrillas and freedom fighters who refused to knuckle under to the Nazis during World War II. Led by schoolteacher Mordechai Anielewicz (Hank Azaria), the organization comes into being as the Warsaw Jewish ghetto is being systemically decimated and shipped off to the Treblinka death camp by the German occupational forces. From April 19 to May 16, 1943, Anielewicz' followers staged a valiant uprising, which -- though ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the Nazi "final solution" juggernaut -- inflicted an enormous amount of damage upon the enemy and enabled hundreds of Polish Jews to escape the gas ovens and crematoriums. Much of the story is based upon the eyewitness testimony of surviving freedom fighter Simha "Kazik" Rotem, portrayed in the film by Stephen Moyer. Director Jon Avnet brilliantly combines newly filmed scenes with digitally refashioned archival footage of the actual uprising. Filmed in Bratisla, Slovakia, and boasting an all-star cast, Uprising was shown in two-hour installments on November 4 and 5, 2001, over the NBC network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leelee Sobieski, Hank Azaria, (more)
- 2002
Jesper W. Nielsen's Okay is a family drama. Nete (Paprika Steen) is a take-charge, in-control woman who takes in her widower father, Johannes (Ole Ernst), after he is diagnosed with cancer. When Johannes stays longer than expected, Nete's professor husband, Kristian (Troels Lyby), initiates an affair with a student. Nete's 14-year-old daughter, Trine, is having troubles typical of an adolescent. Adding more stress to the household is Johannes' feud with his gay son, Martin. The two have been estranged since Martin revealed his sexual orientation to his family. Okay was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paprika Steen, Troels Lyby, (more)
- 2002
A Danish family attempts to cope with the death of their mother in director Annette K. Olesen's bittersweet family drama Sma Ulykker (Minor Mishaps). When Ulla (Vigga Bro) dies in a sudden, tragic mishap, husband John (Jorgen Kill) attempt to balance his loss by forming a closer relationship with daughter Marianne (Maria Wurgler Rich. Suspecting that the realtionship may be taking on unhealthy undertones, Marianne's sister Eva (Jannie Faurschou) voices her concern to self-absorbed businessman brother Tom (Henrik Pip), who eschews concerns for his family in favor of more pressing personal issues. As the immidiate family continues to deal with the loss and the resulting effects it has on thie interaction, uncle Soren (Jesper Christensen)'s marriage seems to be falling apart at the seams as the result of his wife Marianne's (Karne-Lise Mynster) attraction to co-worker Martin (Oliver Appelt Nielson). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jorgen Kill, Maria Wurgler Rich, (more)
A man is torn between love, family, and a responsibility he does not want in this drama. Christoffer (Ulrich Thomsen) used to work for his family's steel company, but when the stress of the job began taking a serious toll on his health, he left the firm and now happily runs a restaurant in Stockholm and is married to Maria (Lisa Werlinder), a lovely and promising stage actress. At the urging of his father, Christoffer flies to Denmark for a family visit, only to discover upon arrival that his dad has just killed himself. Christoffer quickly discovers why: the steel business is on the verge of collapse and his mother (Ghita Nørby) urges him to take over rather than let his brother-in-law Ulrik (Lars Brygmann) assume control. Christoffer reluctantly agrees, but before long, his decision begins to drive a wedge between himself and Maria, while his difficulty in reviving the failing business forces him to deal honestly with his employees in a manner he's not accustomed to, as well as dealing with the uncomfortable points of corporate power. Arven (aka The Inheritance) is the second part of a trilogy by director Per Fly on the three primary social classes, following his 2000 debut Bænken. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ulrich Thomsen, Lisa Werlinder, (more)
An overheard conversation leads a woman into a dark world of deadly intrigue in this political thriller. Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an African émigré who works as an interpreter at the United Nations. One of the languages she understands is Ku, a dialect spoken in her home country of Matobo. One day, as the General Assembly auditorium is being evacuated for a routine security sweep, Broome overhears a man speaking in Ku, who makes a cryptic statement that could be interpreted as a threat against the life of Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), Matobo's controversial ruler. Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) is brought in to investigate Broome's story, and it isn't long before he's convinced that she knows more than she's willing to tell. As Keller and his partner, Dot Woods (Catherine Keener), dig deeper into Broome's story as well as her past, they discover a shocking tale of violence and corruption tied to Zuwanie's regime. The Interpreter was directed by Sydney Pollack, who also appears in a brief supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, (more)
Faith and skepticism walk side by side as two people look toward what might be the end of the world in this made-for-TV supernatural thriller. Richard Massey (Bill Pullman) is a college professor whose teenaged daughter recently died at the hands of a Satanist, who killed the girl as part of a ritual. While Massey is a confirmed atheist, he's trying to make some sort of sense of his daughter's death when he meets Sister Josepha Montifiore (Natascha McElhone), a nun who does research in unusual phenomena. Sister Josepha has become convinced that a number of signs point to the appearance of the Antichrist and the Apocalypse as predicted in the Book of Revelations; Massey becomes her skeptical accomplice as he searches for closure. Written for the screen by David Seltzer, the miniseries Revelations debuted on NBC on April 13, 2005. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Pullman, Natascha McElhone, (more)
