Dronningen

"Queen of Hearts" brings you front and center to witness firsthand the maneuverings and manipulations of a feral and ferocious female narcissist. You will gasp and cringe in your seat at the lengths to which the main actress, Trine Dyrholm, goes to hide her misdeeds. This is neither the first nor the last film that showcases a full-blooded narcissist, and narcissists are predictable, but it differs by delivering a stunning in-depth insight into the volcanic and corrupted mechanizations of the narcissistic mind. Sooner or later we all meet a certain Queen or King of Hearts. They walk among us looking and acting deceptively normal. Behind the normal façade is a web of cunning lies and deceptive ploys with one goal in mind: to always and forever be the Queen or the King regardless the cost. If you are open minded this film will give you subtle tips on how to avoid or recognize this kind of behavior and make you reflect on whether you have narcissistic traits yourself. Trine Dyrholm plays the part with such fierce conviction that it sends chills down your spine. This she-devil deserves an Oscar for her performance.

The stepmother is, as someone else said, evil personified. But it comes as a shock because during the first 2/3 of the movie she is portrayed in an entirely different light: an abuse survivor who found her calling fighting for abuse victims. Although she is not without flaws, we ultimately think she is a good person; until it's revealed that not only is she a sexual predator, but a narcissist capable of unspeakable evil. A shocking turn in the film that made me literally hate this character. I've known a couple of actual sociopathic narcissists like the lead character in my life, and it's amazing how well they can manipulate people to being on their side, no matter what facts their victims lay out about the abuse inflicted by the narcissist. It's a horrifying dynamic, portrayed all too well in this film. Yes, it's a very entertaining drama thriller, like others that have come out of Scandinavia in recent years especially, but the shock and disgust factor at this character's actions cannot be understated. This one will stay with you.

I will start by saying that I like the Danish title much better than the English one. "Dronningen" means simply "the queen", and that is precisely what Anne (Trine Dyrholm) is in her world. Both at home and at work, she is the solid, self-confident and straightforward monarch everybody knows and expects her to be. Everything threatens to break apart when Gustav (Gustav Lindh), her husband's son from a previous marriage, moves from Stockholm to go live with them in the Danish countryside. She will prove ready to everything in her power in order to salvage her marriage and her reputation from downfall, even if this means to turn her back on everything she stands for.

Although the way in which the moral issues are addressed tends sometimes to be a little bit too didactic (see the fact that Anne's job as a lawyer is to assist teenagers who have suffered from abuses), the plot is overall pretty convincing and I'd dare say even gripping at times, especially in the second part of the film. The acting's also not bad at all, with some moments of genuine intensity.

Saw this at the Rotterdam film festival 2019, where it was part of the Big Screen Competition (another film got the price, alas). Despite that I usually do not like relational dramas, this one involved me due to a compelling plot, believable characters and unexpected developments. It is sad that it does not end well for everyone involved (no details, no spoilers), but I don't think that a different outcome would have been so much better. Main character Anne makes unwise choices, and has to live with the dire consequences, but it is easy for us to say from our comfy chairs.

All in all, unexpectedly for me with this kind of relational theme, I scored a maximum 5 for the audience award, for which it eventually received a very good 13th place (out of 162) with score 4.487 (out of 5).

Heavy tension. Perfectly acted. It left me in a intense state of anguish. Watch it because it's a good movie, perhaps a bit too long.