Lars Brygmann Movies
- 2008
Director Kristian Levring examines middle-class disenfranchisement in contemporary Copenhagen with this chilling psychological drama about a family man who just can't help but suspect that he's not as happy as he should be. Mikael (Ulrich Thomsen) is a workaholic husband and father who's recently taken some time off work to move his family into his wife's childhood home in the suburbs. He wants to learn how to relax, and it seems like this latest move is a step in the right direction. His wife, Sigrid (Paprika Steen), is a successful executive, their teenage daughter, Selma, seems content with their decision to relocate, and the family is surround by a great support system that includes kindly Frederik (Lars Brygmann) and his girlfriend, Ellen (Stine Stengade) -- so why is it that Mikael is still feeling so strained all of the time? Unable to sleep and constantly wound up, Mikael seizes the opportunity to take part in a drug test for a new antidepressant that Frederik is helping to market. At first the drug seems to have a considerably positive effect on Mikael's outlook, though before long he's isolating himself from family and friends while growing more detached than ever before. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ulrich Thomsen, Paprika Steen, (more)
- 2008
Temporarily reassigned to the provincial Danish town of South Jutland after being accused of professional misconduct in Copenhagen, a by-the-books policeman begins to sense that the flowery façade of this picturesque hamlet masks something truly sinister dark drama based on author Erling Jepsen's novel of the same name. Constable Robert isn't used to life in the country, so when he's first confronted by the small-town customs of South Jutland he begins to feel as if he's drifted into some kind of all-too-quaint alternate reality. But perhaps his suspicion that everything here is just a little too perfect isn't just the result of simple culture shock, because the more Constable Robert gets to know about his new surroundings the more convinced he becomes that the community of South Jutland harbors a disturbing secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jakob Cedergren, Kim Bodnia, (more)
- 2007
Adam's Apples screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen pens director Paprika Steen's darkly comic tale of an opera-obsessed cafeteria manager who works on a financially strapped ferry running between Copenhagen and Stockholm. Cafeteria manager Jan (Lars Brygmann) isn't the most likable of characters. Not only has his fixation on proper procedure isolated him from his co-workers, but even Jan's shrieking wife Anna (Sidse Babett Knudsen) can't find many redeeming qualities in her severely grating spouse. One night, after hiding out in the local opera house, Jan comes home to yet another battle with his embittered bride. The following day, Jan's life takes a wholly unexpected turn when the fed-up captain of the ferry grows tired of Jan's behavior and demands that the obnoxious employee seek professional help. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lars Brygmann, Sidse Babett Knudsen, (more)
- 2007
Danish director Tomas Villum Jensen's acerbic satire Clash of Egos stars Ulrich Thomsen as Tonny, a husband and father so rage-addled that he got sent to jail for KO'ing a man in public. Tonny's wife, Tanja (Ellen Hillingso), grew humiliated and promptly divorced him, but Tonny luckily managed to swing occasional custody of his two children. On one of their prized afternoons together, Tonny and the kids hearken off to see the new Harry Potter movie, but run headfirst into the discouraging news that the film is sold out. With only one other option available to them at the cinema, the three must endure a thoroughly miserable afternoon at an über-pretentious Danish film called "The Murderer," directed by the snotty artiste director Claus Volter (Nikolaj Lie Kaas in a characterization reportedly inspired by Lars von Trier) . Frustrated, Tonny smashes a window in the cinema lobby (and barely manages to escape re-incarceration for it), then decides to track Volter down to demand a refund on their ticket and concession costs -- little knowing the misery he is about to cause in the life of this revered "film artist." ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, (more)
- 2007
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lars Brygmann, Morten Grunwald, (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)
