Sisse Graum Olsen Movies
Two brothers unwittingly exchange roles under the fog of war in this powerful drama. Michael (Ulrich Thomsen) and Jannick (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) are two brothers who have always meshed as well as oil and water. Michael is a caring husband and father who risen to the rank of major in the Danish Army, while Jannick is an alcoholic with a violent streak who has been in and out of prison much of his life. Jannick has just been released after serving time for armed robbery when Michael learns he's being sent to Afghanistan; Jannick quarrels with both Michael and his parents at a going-away dinner, which does nothing to endear him to Michael's wife, Sarah (Connie Nielsen). However, when Sarah receives word that Michael's helicopter has been shot down and the crew has gone missing, Jannick tries to assume some degree of familial responsibility, helping Sarah with the children and helping to keep the house in repair. As the months roll on, Jannick finds that family life agrees with him; he cuts back on his drinking, gets a job, and grows increasingly fond of Sarah, who also takes a liking to her brother-in-law's new style. However, as Jannick finally grows into a responsible adult, he and Sarah learn that Michael has been released from an Afghan military prison and is being sent home. As Sarah and Jannick come to terms with their feelings for one another, they are disturbed by Michael's new presence; after several hellish months in captivity, he's become an angry and emotionally broken man, who is haunted by ugly memories and suspects his wife and brother of betrayal. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Connie Nielsen, Ulrich Thomsen, (more)
- 2002
- R
Two people are brought together by a tragic accident in this emotional drama. Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Cecilie (Sonja Richter) are a couple in Copenhagen who've fallen deeply in love and have made plans to marry. One day, Joachim is severely injured in an auto accident when he's struck by a woman named Marie (Paprika Steen), leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. As fate would have it, the doctor put in charge of Joachim's care is Niels (Mads Mikkelsen), who happens to be Marie's husband. Joachim, deeply depressed since the accident, tells Cecilie to leave him and find someone else, but while she intends to stay with the man she loves, she finds it increasingly difficult to deal with his mood swings and frequent anger. Meanwhile, Marie, wracked with guilt over the accident, asks her husband to look after Cecilie, and as they spend more and more time together, they find themselves becoming increasingly attracted. Eventually, Cecilie and Niels become lovers, leaving them both to deal with their betrayal of the people they've sworn to stand by. Filmed following the austere guidelines of the Dogma 95 movement, Open Hearts received its North American premier at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival and was screened in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonja Richter, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, (more)
Scottish short film director David Mackenzie made his feature-film debut in 2002 with The Last Great Wilderness, the tale of two oddballs stuck in a sleepy Scottish town out in the middle of nowhere. The romantically jilted Charlie (Alastair Mackenzie) is headed to a remote location in the Highlands to burn down the house of the celebrity that stole his girlfriend away from him. On the way, he is forced to give a ride to a pseudo-Spaniard named Vincente (Jonny Phillips) who is on the run after sleeping with a violent thug's wife. En route, the car breaks down and the men are forced to stay at the Moor Lodge -- home to a group of similarly odd people that Charlie and Vince soon find themselves compelled to learn more about. The Last Great Wilderness premiered at the 2002 Edinburgh Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alastair Mackenzie, Jonathan Phillips, (more)
Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig, the writer and director of the 12th Dogme 95 film, 2000's critically acclaimed Italian for Beginners, presents this comedy drama starring Jamie Sives and Adrian Rawlins as brothers Wilbur and Harbour. When their mother died early in their lives, it became up to Harbour to keep tabs on Wilbur, the younger and chronically depressed of the two siblings. Now in their thirties, their father has passed away, leaving them to take over the family's used book store. It is there that they encounter Alice (Shirley Henderson), a hospital janitor who sells the books that patients leave behind, and her young, optimistic daughter, Mary (Lisa McKinlay). Together, the four form a bond that changes each of their lives, with Harbour falling in love with Alice and Mary's sunny demeanor giving the suicidal Wilbur a reason to live. The first English-language effort from Scherfig, Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself was nominated for best film at Denmark's 2003 Bodil Awards. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Sives, Adrian Rawlins, (more)
