Vikaren

If this would have been an American movie, the monster would have been silly, the parents understandable in their gullibility and the kids more concerned with their social standing. Also, anything scary would have probably been removed and the film would have been a Disney production.

Well, they do things differently in Denmark, so they have some smart kids, with a complex relationship dynamic, completely ignorant parents that only believe what suits them best (especially when it comes to their children fantasies) and the monster is both fairly benign, totally scary and absolutely alien.

The film is thus suitable for both parents and children, although I would call it more a family film with horrorish specks, and even if the whole "planet without love" thing was too corny and not very related to the rest of the film, the movie is watchable and enjoyable. At least I liked it.

Here's a refreshing delightful horror-spoof from Denmark. Usually parents tend to say no to their kids when it comes to horror movies but with 'Vikaren' they should make an exception as it would be wrong to deprive children from the sheer entertaining experience of this film. Yet, this film isn't restricted to children as adults can easily enjoy it. Ole Bornedal and Henrik Prip have written a superb screenplay meshing it with both humour, irony and horror while telling a linear story. The washed out colours and score bring that horror movie feel. The cinematography and special effects are topnotch. Then there's the outstanding performance of Paprika Steen as Ulla Harms. The use of a lesser actress could have easily ruined the film. Steen beautifully carries the role very naturally and with an amazing balance between restraint and over-the-top acting she just proves what a masterful actress she is. The child actors also do a good job. 'Vikaren' is sheer fun and one of the best examples of family entertainment. It doesn't go over the top in delivering its message while maintaining a fine gradient such that both adults and children could enjoy it to the full.

A quite simple kids movie plot gets elevated to hilarious heights by the truly inspired casting of Paprika Steen as Ulla Harms, the substitute who dares to say and do all the things some of the more cynical teachers in this world only dream of. Steen's trademark Dogme-trained nuanced, natural acting this time only serves as a masquerade for a flat-out over-the-top monster, and you can see how much wicked fun she has switching between those two faces, proving her impressive emotional outbursts and character quirks to be nothing but a cold, calculated lie within the blink of an eye.

The other actors do fine, too, as only Danish actors can. The kids are not annoying, even if they have to scream and be cute occasionally. Our hero Carl manages to be a sympathetic if troubled young man, my only nit-picking being that he might be a bit too self-consciously handsome to really convince as the class weirdo and outsider. Also, his love story with the new girl remains a bit under-developed. But hey, they're teenagers, love comes and goes quickly at that age, I guess.

The film is a great fun romp from start to finish, never buried under the weight of its kid-friendly message, and comes highly recommended. As stated before, Paprika Steen deserves prizes and kudos for what she does. And Ole Bornedal keeps the promise he made with Nightwatch. Mainstream family cinema doesn't get much better than this.

P.S.: The only real letdown: right at the beginning of the end credits there is a high school prom dance scene that is totally out of tune with the rest of the film. It's as if the filmmakers wanted to be 'cool' with the young audience in a way the film otherwise thankfully doesn't feel the need to be.

This movie is a bet. A bet that is insanely strange. Henrik Prip has written the script together with the director Ole Bornedal, and they must have smoked a huge bean, because this film is insanely strange.

It's always exciting with a bet, respect for it, and the film is not completely lost behind a wagon either, but it does not always fully understand whether it is a horror, or a youth film, so it sits a little awkwardly between two chairs.

It's also insanely strangely shot. I'm not a big fan of that.

However, it is an honorable performance by Paprika Steen who manages to maneuver between all the emotional registers, both when it has to be fake and genuine. But an insanely weird movie.

One of the best surprises I had in early 2008, when one professor brought to the film school where I work one of those "for your consideration" copies for some kind of national academy award. It was "Vikaren", a very funny, original and sometimes scary science-fiction comedy, in which an ugly alien who comes from a planet where love is unknown, assumes the figure of an attractive teacher to replace the one who, in a Danish school, has to prepare 6th grade students for a competition in Paris. If you can, do not miss this version (my favorite sequence is the first day she confronts the class!), since Hollywood has already bought the rights for a 2011 remake loaded with special effects --and although we have to give them the chance to prove they can improve something already good, you will lose watching Paprika Steen doing the real thing in Danish. It is a pity Marco Beltrami's score has not been released on any format, it is very good, and his fans consider it one of his best.