Walter og Carlo - op på fars hat

I totally agree with Phrankster."Walter and Carlo" IS Denmark in the eighties. Everyone had been to Spain on Charter Holidays and the "folk comedy" genre was what we had all grown up with, so we could all relate to it, in opposition to the more "art cinema" oriented films. It is actually funny and bit anarchistic, and was a big office hit as far as I remember. Jarl Friis Mikkelsen and Ole Stephensen do a rather good job trying to revive the folk comedy, but...making TWO sequels, each one worse than the other. Well, Hollywood does it all the time. Anyway, that was what filled the seats at the time when movie theaters were closing down one by another around the country.

This is a movie that is as 80's as anything can be. It's basically a dark comedy about Walter and Carlo going to Costa Del Sol like so many other Danes did in the 70's and 80's. Along for the ride is Walter's mom, Carlo's wife Elly (who we never see, but from time to time we see what she is seeing through her video camera) and Walter's new love interest. From there on in it's good old fashioned ultra politically incorrect humour, with a story about Carlo and some jewel thieves (and their attempts at killing him) mixed in between. Oh and like all eighties comedies, it doesn't hurt if you shut your brain off before watching it!

It is impressing that the director succeeds in making the crop of the most well known Danish actors look like amateurs, fumbilng morons and school comedy wannabees. It is excruciatingly embarrassing.

Maybe it is unfari to point out one disaster but Ulf Pilgaard falls flat on the face in an inept hysterical performance. Fumbling is not easy done on film but this failure is beyond belief.

This film is a stain on the CV for a dozen of the most loved and famous actors and comedians in Denmark. I feel sad for them.

This is a very good Danish movie, period. A few Danes think that this is a very bad film, because it took focus away from Danish art-films. Art films only a few people saw and all of are all but forgotten to day. This film is very simple and dumb - but it is fun, and that is the most important thing. Just because this film does not have some "greater" message does not make it any lesser of a film. Because of this, the film is very much liked by many average Danes - people that never would have seen any art film, even if it were free. A film like this is remembered by the public - and most art films are not (only the best are that). This film had an impact on pop-culture, and therefore it can be immortal. And that is better than an art film, which is forgotten in 10 years. And that is a fact. Walther and Carlo will always be remembered in Denmark.

But this film is properly not suited for non-Danes. They would not think that it is funny. OK, maybe people from Sweden or Norway. But outside Scandinavia = no.

This is a good film, no question about it. Good, not Great. But of course it is not a classic.