Morten Grunwald Movies

Emotionally devastated after accidentally causing the death of an obnoxious drunk, an unscrupulous real estate agent wrestles with the remorse of killing a beloved father and husband as his life begins to unravel to reveal an entire history of regret. Real estate agent Ulrick Nymann (Lars Brygmann) isn't known for his honesty, though his lack of morals have no doubt played a huge part in his success. One night, while celebrating a recent condo sale in a flashy upscale nightclub, Ulrick convinces his friends to duck out in favor of a quiet dive bar. Once there, the contemptuous Ulrick clashes with a loud mouth drunk, with the war of works quickly turning physical. When the drunk suffers a fatal fall, Ulrick is sent to the slammer overnight. Quickly released thanks to the efforts of his lawyer brother (Nicolas Bro) and their powerful but estranged father (Morten Grunwald), Ulrick returns to his materialistic wife Camilla (Anne Sophie Byder) and goes back to work for his unethical boss. The problem is, the death seems to have a greater impact on Ulrick than anyone, including himself, expected. In the following weeks Ulrick attempts to make amends for his transgression by getting closer with the man's grieving family. As a result, however, he drifts ever further away from his own wife and their haughty circle of friends. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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, Rovi

This detective story models its hero and complex plot on the private eyes made famous in the early 1930s by authors Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler: Sam Spade of The Maltese Falcon and Philip Marlowe. "The Reporter" (Michael Falch) is also tall, tough womanizer, and a loner with his own personal crusade to clean up a red light district in Copenhagen. After a part-time jazz pianist is murdered, the Reporter has evidence against the culprit in the form of a tape the murderer made with the pianist. Life gets complicated because the police are soon after him. Even though a bookstore owner generously gives the Reporter a handgun, the question is whether his hard-boiled character and sharp thinking will actually win out in the end, gun or no gun. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The final film in the original series of 13 Danish comedy-capers, Olsen Banden Over Alle Bjerge was a direct sequel to Olsen Bandens Flugt Over Plankeværket and maintains the same high level of comedic farce and zany satire that distinguished its predecessors. The gigantic insurance company "High Northern" (the series was of course produced by Great Northern!) is again the target of the three swindlers, who this time travel all the way to Paris to get the goods on master-villain Bang-Johansen (Bjøern Watt-Boolsen). Although the series thus ended on a high note, this film proved a sad farewell to Kirsten Walther), whose ditzy Yvonne had become synonymous with "Olsen Gang" humor. The incomparable redhead, whose heartfelt bits of nonsense never failed to evoke sidesplitting laughter, died in 1987. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

The entire nation of Denmark is in danger from a takeover bid in this the 11th instalment in the popular comedy series about three bungling safecrackers. The chase goes all the way to the E.U.'s headquarters in Brussels, but the comedy remains very Danish and is one of the best entries in the series. Dingbat Yvonne (Kirsten Walther) offers her usual dimwit bon mots, pudgy Keld (Poul Bundgaard) still fears his wife's wrath, lanky Benny (Morten Grunwald) remains the optimist even in the face of the utmost adversity, and Egon (Ove Sprogøe), the hard-proven leader of the plan, regularly loses his cool. But together they manage to save the nation from the machinations of evil multinational company High Northern. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

The perennial Danish comedy favorites of the 1970s, the Olsen Gang, undertakes another adventure in Olsenbanden Gaar I Krig. In the story, Egon, Benny and Kjeld discover that the entire country of Denmark is slated by the Common Market to serve as a theme park resembling Disneyland, named "Daisyland" (after Queen Margrethe's nickname). The citizenry of Denmark will become waiters, guides, and so on, for the sensation-seeking tourists of the rest of Europe. Naturally, the gang wants a cut of the action until their own patriotism surfaces,overcoming their avarice and surprising them a bit. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

A man with a failing heart suffers from prolonged indecision about whether to accept a heart transplant. Once he does, he becomes obsessed with discovering the nature of the man whose heart he now carries. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The Olsens, a popular Danish crime/comedy trio, reappear in this engaging slapstick comedy. Egon is asked by a company director to open the company's safe. Things don't turn out exactly as planned, and the trio find themselves chasing and being chased in a scheme involving diamonds and laundered money deals. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This film has sexual situations and occasional full frontal nudity. One of the two men in this Danish film has a ballet-dancer girlfriend whom he is quite fond of, but he is not averse to going to bed with an actress friend while the ballet dancer is on tour. The other fellow has been having a fling with an East German refugee, and though he has her in his bed, he is having a hard time getting her to connect emotionally. It seems she has a yen to return to her home, even though getting there could cost her her life. Her erstwhile boyfriend and his friend both risk life and limb to help her. Curiously, this film has a somewhat happy ending, reportedly due to the insistence of the film's producer. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This was the second film in the long-lasting Danish caper-comedy series. The dapper little Egon Olsen (Ove Sprogøe) is, as always, released from prison but this time with the promise of going straight. Until, that is, a couple of American gangsters force the Olsen gang to come up with a plan. The three colleagues, Egon, Benny (Morten Grunwald), and Kjeld (Poul Bundgaard), along with Kjeld's ditzy wife Yvonne (Kirsten Walther), had not yet reached the top-tuned hilarity of later entries and are still encumbered by a series of supporting characters, who in retrospect seem only to get in the way of things. Supporting actor Preben Kaas, playing Benny's half-crazed brother, an expert in the illegal use of dynamite, earned a Danish "Academy Award" for his performance. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

In this adventure, a salesman of novelty items suddenly finds himself inducted into the secret service after his satchel is accidentally switched with that of an insane scientist who endeavors to start a nuclear war. Now the salesman must stop the doctor at all costs. To do so, the clever hero uses some of the very gadgets he sells. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi