Bleeder

A complete surprise. Had no idea what I was getting into. As fine as anything by Scorcese, with some similarities to Taxi Driver. An enormous breath of fresh air compared to the awful Hollywood machine. The scenes are real, intense, sometimes violent, always moving. Geniune. This film maker is the real thing. The acting is impeccable. I personally don't care much for symbolism, meta-cinema or the like, but instead prefer a real and dramatic experience. This movie provides all of the above--and that is a rare treat. Someone compared this to Kubrick--there is some of that but what is really different here is the emotion. Kubrick is always (or almost always) dry, sterile, unemotional, stiff. Bleeder is moving--it even at times has some of the emotionalism of a melodrama, but it always remains a drama.

Nicolas Winding Refn, the genius behind the excellent "Pusher" sets new standards for danish movies with his new opus "Bleeder". Leo, played by the magnificent actor Kim Bodnia, is gradually going insane as his wife gets pregnant. He feels his life fade away and asks himself how he can put a child into a world that's raw and how they can afford to have one.

The atmosphere is two parts Scorcese's "Taxi Driver" and one part Franz Kafka's "Der Prozess", not very moody in other words. A sub-story about Leo's buddy searching for a girl relieves the pressure a bit, which is for the better as it also adds depth to the movie.

The violence feels very realistic and is sometimes even hard to watch, it's like it all is happening for real. The realistic approach makes this movie feel fresh and not like something you've seen before. After I saw this movie I was left with an uneasy feeling in my stomach and I knew I've seen something very rear and very good.

Nicolas Winding Refn is worth the highest of praise for making a movie like this. It's just what European moviemaking needs.

9/10

BLEEDER is the follow-up to Nicolas Winding Refn's Danish debut, PUSHER. I think it's a better film in every respect, even if it is less well known: the story, of family dysfunction and human relationships, is brimming with power, and by turns tragic, bleak, and ultimately devastating.

The story sees Leo (Kim Bodnia, of PUSHER fame), attempting to adapt to family life when he finds out his girlfriend's pregnant. Along the way, he continues uneasy friendships with the racist Louis, his girlfriend's brother, and Lenny (Mads Mikkelsen), a loner who works at the local video shop. Of course things eventually become very dark indeed, and more harrowing and shocking than they were in PUSHER.

Refn elicits some excellent performances from his cast, not least from Bodnia, who is quietly terrifying throughout this. A glimmer of hope and humour comes from the presence of the outstanding Mikkelsen, who is my favourite character; the video shop setting allows for plenty of cultural references for film fans. Watch out for PUSHER's Zlatko Buric as another friend. By the end, I felt like I'd done ten rounds in the ring: BLEEDER is that kind of film, and excellent with it.

I remember seeing Bleeder way back in 2004, it was one of the first international films I saw via a DVD shop in UK.

I was becoming incredibly pi$$ed off and fed up with Hollywood mainstream crap at the cinema and on DVD so I ventured into international cinema.

After I saw Bleeder, I felt a wave of awesomeness go over me. I felt alive. It was one of the best films I'd seen in YEARS.

It was so refreshing and meaningful. Packed with substance.

I was very impressed with the acting.

Since then, I've become a big fan of Refn, and I absolutely love the Pusher trilogy.

Its a shame gems like Bleeder never get the recognition they deserve, but plastic hollow over rated Hollywood $hit does.

Top film. See it!!!!!

This movie is dark and real.Its about a man who has nothing to live for.And it only gets worse.This is the movie that makes you think about how good your life actually is and that there is a lot of people who have it worse.Thanks to another great performance by Kim Bodnia this movie will stick with you for days.