Não é Mais Uma História de Amor

I am speechless. This movie is beyond good. It is the epitome of everything that I like about film - a movie that rivals American Beauty, Eternal Sunshine, and Mulholland Drive for artistic masterpiece of the last 10 years.

It is a CRIME that this movie is only playing in one theater in New York City. I cannot remember the last time I was this entranced by a film, and in a way I feel lucky that I had the honor of being one of six people in a small theater in the Village watching this.

Beautiful, dark, enigmatic, mysterious, erotic, intense, tragic, Symmetric.

Perfection.

The person who made the final decision, whoever it was, on the title of this movie, needs to be spanked. Bad job. Just Another Love Story sounds like it's some romantic comedy. Sure it fits the story, but phewy, that title isn't helping anybody, especially the makers of the film to market this well-made flick.

Just Another Love Story in a pinch is about a man who stupidly, selfishly and led by hormones is brought into a weird situation where he is now living the life of a different identity. He was Jonas, but now he's Sebestian; Julia's love. Julia's past isn't all that it's cracked up to be, and his new little life as Prince Charming is slowly unraveling.

If you're looking to watch a solid thriller with fantastic acting and production values, as well as a film that'll mess with your emotions with each developing scene, then this is a flick you should check out. Good flick, bad title. I like mine better. ;)

This may not be my favorite film of all time, but it was definitely a great watch in the theater! It was like an exceptionally twisted version of the romantic comedy "While You Were Sleeping." I loved the blue-and-green cinematography as a backdrop for such a black plot (which, by the way, I thought was entirely coherent and interesting). The filmmaker definitely took some risks you wouldn't see in a Hollywood film, but I thought they payed off. The overlay of simultaneous action images was aesthetically pleasing and allowed forward action to continue while giving clues into the character's mysterious past. I think what really made the film for me though, was the concept of the basic human (and especially American) need for MORE. No matter how perfect a life may seem, it is never really enough. Trying not to spoil the plot, there are some actions that would normally make the character seem like a jerk, but he is still very easy to sympathize with because we all have the same driving desire for satisfaction. I think the original Danish reviews had it right. While some of the violence and nudity may not be completely vital to the plot, it all adds up to a great modern-day film noir.

This film could have been based on a novel written by Harlan Coben or Donald Westlake. In fact, Ole Bournedal (writer/director) has recently been tapped to direct Dean Koontz's novel, "The Husband". JUST ANOTHER LOVER STORY contains all the elements of classic noir fiction, and incorporates a fresh and modern cinematographic style. The film centers on a man who jettisons his humdrum existence for the love of a mysterious woman. Add amnesia, a murder-suicide, stolen diamonds, The Asian Mafia, and set the action in beautiful Denmark, and you have the essence of JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY. This is not a great film, but it accomplishes every challenge, and is a very positive addition to Danish cinema, and the Film Noir Genre in general.

Just Another Love Story (2007)

Wow, what a great movie. Very European in how it is shot and constructed, and in the realism of the acting. But this is not a "realistic" movie like some of the gritty fictional movies that tend to look like real life, horrors and all. This alternates a highly realistic acting with a layered and deliberately constructed structure to make for an aesthetic experience as well as a narrative one.

The plot is involved and is too easily given away, but the meat of it is that a well meaning, likable guy finds that an opportunity to become someone else comes along and it is too tempting to pass up. But only sometimes. And with some hidden strings attached, naturally. His experience in both pairs of shoes is transcendent for him, and worth the sacrifice it seems.

It all begins when his car stalls and the car behind him swerves and gets into an accident of its own. He goes to help the driver--a beautiful young woman who has sight problems and amnesia in her recovery.

This might sound like a movie convenience, but it's not. The intensity of what follows, and the way the actors make it believable, is stunning. In the simplest form of a recommendation I would say: see this film. It's different without being affected. It's honest and realistic without becoming reality. It moves and intrigues all the way through.

A Danish film set mostly in Copenhagen, "Just Another Love Story" is not just another love story a bit. Look for something magical, inventive, and extremely well made.