Reina de corazones

The stepmother is, as someone else said, evil personified. But it comes as a shock because during the first 2/3 of the movie she is portrayed in an entirely different light: an abuse survivor who found her calling fighting for abuse victims. Although she is not without flaws, we ultimately think she is a good person; until it's revealed that not only is she a sexual predator, but a narcissist capable of unspeakable evil. A shocking turn in the film that made me literally hate this character. I've known a couple of actual sociopathic narcissists like the lead character in my life, and it's amazing how well they can manipulate people to being on their side, no matter what facts their victims lay out about the abuse inflicted by the narcissist. It's a horrifying dynamic, portrayed all too well in this film. Yes, it's a very entertaining drama thriller, like others that have come out of Scandinavia in recent years especially, but the shock and disgust factor at this character's actions cannot be understated. This one will stay with you.

You immediately get sucked into their world, and feel a part of the family and situation. It's truly an experience in its own right to watch this movie, because you feel the feelings of the characters and at times feel equally confused and frustrated. It's an emotional rollercoaster that you feel apart of.

I will start by saying that I like the Danish title much better than the English one. "Dronningen" means simply "the queen", and that is precisely what Anne (Trine Dyrholm) is in her world. Both at home and at work, she is the solid, self-confident and straightforward monarch everybody knows and expects her to be. Everything threatens to break apart when Gustav (Gustav Lindh), her husband's son from a previous marriage, moves from Stockholm to go live with them in the Danish countryside. She will prove ready to everything in her power in order to salvage her marriage and her reputation from downfall, even if this means to turn her back on everything she stands for.

Although the way in which the moral issues are addressed tends sometimes to be a little bit too didactic (see the fact that Anne's job as a lawyer is to assist teenagers who have suffered from abuses), the plot is overall pretty convincing and I'd dare say even gripping at times, especially in the second part of the film. The acting's also not bad at all, with some moments of genuine intensity.

Growing old or up is not something that will be the same for everyone. Also if you marry someone, you may find yourself realizing that you are not entirely fulfilled. Whatever you need to satisfy your need - the question is, how far can you go in making sure you get what you want? Or pursue happiness - it does not always include your partner.

There are quite a lot of questions this movie does raise (more for the viewer to find, but also some very obvious ones). Cheating can have many forms! But even in the most known one, you can cross a line that is ... well let's say hard to forgive if found out. The movie paints realistic relationships, has strong sex (as the censors would say I reckon) and very good performances by the actors. It doesn't even feel too long - everything makes sense and it has an ending that I feel most will understand and love (whatever that may mean for each individually)

Extremely suspenseful - second half leaves you at the edge of your seat. Main actress is incredible. Camera and editing has great feeling for scenery and timing. No cliches at all. Very subtle in portraying thoughts and emotions of the characters. Quiet moments are the most powerful. Must watch for fans of intelligent, controlled and thoughtful cinema.