Martin Brygmann Movies
- 1998
The emotional ups and downs of the habitués of a Copenhagen watering hole form the basis of this Danish drama. The Blue Monk is a bar favored by jazz fans, where classic sides by Thelonious Monk dominate the jukebox and the regulars use the waitresses and bartenders as sounding boards for their emotional problems. One of the customers develops a crush on his favorite waitress; however, she's become involved with someone else, and she soon discovers her customer isn't as harmless as she thought. This mood piece, dominated by a classic jazz soundtrack, was shown at the 1999 Gothenburg Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helle Ryslinge, Ole Meyer, (more)
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)
Danish theater director Hella Joof segues into feature directing with her 2002 debut Shake It All About. Madly in love, Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) and Jorgen (Troels Lyby) hope to make it official and wed sometime next summer. However, one fateful night Jacob and Caroline (Charlotte Munck) -- Jorgen's sister -- share an unexpected kiss that makes Jacob's heart flutter with the sudden realization that he not only loves Caroline, but that he is also in love with a woman. As the two begin their secret, tempestuous fling, Jorgen begins to suspect something is amiss and he finally confronts Jacob -- who promptly confesses to his infidelity. Rightfully enraged, Jorgen storms out of the house and gets injured in a car wreck. As Jacob decides to patch things up with Jorgen, Caroline informs him that she is probably carrying his child. While the news is exhilarating, Jacob is not exactly eager to inform Jorgen of this development -- much less Caroline's husband Tom (Jesper Lohmann) -- which leaves Jacob with some tough decisions to make that will affect the futures of nearly all his friends and family. Shake It All About was selected for inclusion into the Cinema of Tomorrow program at the 2002 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mads Mikkelsen, Troels Lyby, (more)
- 2002
Martin Schmidt's horror film Kat stars Liv Corfixen as Maria, a woman who is having a difficult time in her life. Maria and her cat move in with her friend Isabella (Charlotte Munck), and she is having trouble with both law school and her boyfriend. Isabella's grandparents hold a meeting from which unfamiliar noises issue forth. A series of killings performed by a gigantic monster begin soon afterward, and Maria's cat begins behaving in very odd ways. Kat was screened at the Dark Wave Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liv Corfixen, Charlotte Munck, (more)
