O Bastardo

I watched this movie at the Busan International Film Festival this week. I went into it, without much information and didn't know what to expect. And oh wow, it blew me away. I straight away put it on my "Top 10 Favourite Movies of all Time" list.

First of all Mads Mikkelsen is a phenomenal actor and the perfect choice to play Ludvig Kahlen. He shines especially in the scenes, where he "only" acts out pure emotion with his facial expressions without having to say a word. There is one scene at the very end, where he sits all alone in his farm house, eating at a table and the camera zooms into a close up shot onto his face. It is a captivating scene, were no words are spoken but so much was said. He is a superb actor.

Throughout the movie you feel all kinds of emotions yourself: anger, hatred, sadness, frustration, disgust, joy, relief,.. I felt it all. It is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

I felt strong hatred for the villain of the story played by Simon Bennebjerg, who was also a perfect cast for this. You really start to hate his character pretty early on, his arrogance, greed and disrespect for all people around him, make him a despicable character.

After watching the movie, my friend and I had a long discussion about human greed and what our motivation in life is. Is it worth to betray, let down and/or loose loved ones over a title, money and/or fame?

10 out of 10, worth every second.

The Promised Land (2023)

Mads Mikkelsen is an actor who needs no praise and yet every time I see him in a film, my level of admiration grows even more. The sense of honor and dignity are so profound in this man as he commands a powerful on-screen presence in every scene. Asides from knowing that this was a historical drama, I didn't even bother to read the synopsis as I had faith in the lead actor. Oh and if you love potatoes, you are going to enjoy this even more.

The Promised Land is a true story of Ludvig Kahlen, a man determined on building a settlement in the Danish wilderness in order to attain wealth and honor. Being an ex-soldier he will use his meager savings in an attempt to make this dream a reality but before long, he will encounter more than a handful of obstacles imposed by a wealthy landowner who is determined to prevent Ludvig from achieving his goal. Despite taking place in Denmark, this film can somewhat be classified as a Historical-Western due to it's use of wide shots, beautiful nature, a respectable stoic protagonist and a sense of perpetual struggle against oppressors.

When you think about it, the historical event in question is quite insignificant on a large scale and if not for Mads Mikkelsen, this film wouldn't have existed. Thankfully it was made and asides from Mads' captivating performance, the rest of the cast came to put in a collective effort that made me genuinely care about the struggle. The cinematography is simple yet beautiful and the well used score manages to both accentuate a rural setting and pull on the emotional strings. Overall, a well made film that leaves a pleasant aftertaste and if you are a fellow fan of Mads, you won't be disappointed.

Movieswithoutshmovies on Instagram for honest movie and TV reviews.

This was a surprisingly good movie. I've been disappointed by quite a few period drama pieces from the last years, so my expectations going in were not very high, especially given the description of it being "Western set in 18th century Denmark". But going out of the theatre I had to admit that I had a near perfect cinema experience. The movie was beautifully filmed with nearly each frame being a work of art. The acting was superb and the characters were interesting and well-developed. Mads Mikkelsen was stellar in his role, and I loved Ann Barbara, Anmai Mus and the priest. Simon Bennebjerg was great as the unhinged, but charismatic Frederik de Schinkel. The plot wasn't particularly original, but it kept you invested in the story, and was logical and well-rounded and the ending left no loose threads. The love story was compelling without being overly dramatic - because most love stories aren't! Another reviewer commented that it felt unnatural to him but to me on contrary it felt very realistic that these characters would seek out each other's warmth and comfort in the circumstances they were placed in. Other parts were well-balanced too - it had just enough blood and fighting and torture scenes to get the story across, but none just for drama's sake. The movie borrowed a lot of elements from the Western genre, but it felt authentic and in no way like a Hollywood clone. All in all, it was fantastic, well rounded film and a great cinematic experience.

Possibly one of the most engaging and powerful European movies of the year. Great storytelling, acting, directing, cinematography, art direction, costumes, make up.

This film uses all the tools of the western genre. Wide landscapes, settlers developing harsh lands, the fight against greed, injustice, cruelty and impunity of the ruling class, a stubborn loner who learns to follow his heart and old vs. New technologies, in this case agricultural, settlers fighting rich landowners, racial prejudices and of course a showdown with a powerful obligatory scene.

For the longest time I have been waiting for a period piece set in Europe with the look and feel of epic westerns. There have been a few efforts so far and they all failed on me in one part or another. This one could be leading the pack. Do yourself a favor and go see it on a very, very big screen.

The Promised Land takes place in 1700's Denmark and tells the story of a retired military officer who wants to settle and farm in an inhospitable area where no one else has been able to survive. He has visions of making a great success, and being greatly rewarded by the King and other noble people. That is just the vaguest outline of the story but the film goes deep into the characters involved and becomes unexpectedly dark, much darker than I had imagined. I will not say more so as not to spoil it, but this is a truly great movie. The main character is played to perfection by Mads Mickelson. The associated actors Amanda Collin, Kristine Thorp, and the young child actor Melina Hagberg are very much up to the task of making their characters come alive. A great film that I could not recommend more.