Kærlighed ved første hik

Kærlighed ved første hik is a delightful Danish teen comedy that captures the awkwardness and excitement of first love. Directed by Tomas Villum Jensen and based on Dennis Jürgensen's popular youth novel, the film takes us on a journey with Viktor, a shy and clumsy high school student, as he navigates the challenges of pursuing his crush, the beautiful and popular Anja.

Robert Hansen delivers a heartwarming performance as Viktor, portraying the character's endearing vulnerability and determination. Sofie Lassen-Kahlke shines as Anja, capturing both her charm and complexity as a teenage girl torn between different romantic interests. The chemistry between the two leads is genuine and makes their evolving relationship engaging to watch.

The film cleverly combines humor and romance, resulting in many amusing and relatable moments. Viktor's relentless hiccups become a recurring gag, adding a lighthearted touch to the story. The supporting cast, including Joachim Knop, Mira Wanting, Karl Bille, and Jonas Gülstorff, brings additional humor and depth to the narrative, enhancing the overall entertainment value.

The exploration of teenage sexuality is handled with care and honesty. The conversations between Anja and her best friend Gitte about sex are refreshingly open and candid, reflecting the curiosity and curiosity of adolescents. The film approaches these topics with a level of maturity, highlighting the characters' desire to explore their emotions and desires while also emphasizing the importance of communication and consent.

Visually, the film captures the nostalgic atmosphere of the late '90s, immersing viewers in a time when technology was less prevalent and personal interactions were paramount. The cinematography by Dirk Brüel effectively captures the youthful energy and vibrant spirit of the characters, complemented by a lively soundtrack from Jeppe Kaas and Innocent Blood.

Kærlighed ved første hik's success led to a series of sequels, further exploring the endearing relationship between Anja and Viktor. This initial installment, however, remains a standout entry, capturing the innocence and excitement of young love.

In sum, Kærlighed ved første hik is a charming Danish teen comedy that successfully blends humor, romance, and relatable coming-of-age experiences. With its lovable characters, heartfelt performances, and witty storytelling, the film offers an enjoyable and nostalgic cinematic experience for audiences of all ages. Whether you're a fan of teen comedies or simply looking for a heartwarming and entertaining movie, Kærlighed ved første hik is definitely worth a watch.

* (1 out of 5)

Kærlighed Ved Første Hik

Directed by: Tomas Villum Jensen, 1999

Danish cult author of children's books, Dennis Jürgensen, has one of his first and most memorable books turned into a pitiful, dry and thoroughly un-imaginative film.

The acting is wooden, the dialogue is colorless and the scope is embarrassing. The transformation from book to film is overly cute and bland. The filmmakers had been better off digging out another similar themed Danish film, Busters Verden (1984) by Bille August, and learning a trick or two from this warm and genuinely funny classic.

There are books so special you never believe they will turn out to be great movies. Dennis Jürgensen's "Kærlighed Ved Første HIK" are one of few books that almost every Danish teenager have read. I guess most of the young Danish boys fall in love with Anja when they read the book, and I simply didn't believe they could turn this very funny story into a believable movie, and still keep the picture of Anja being so very special. The story about poor young Victor falling in love with the rich and 2 years older Anja has been changed a bit to fit to the screen, but Thomas Villum Jensen has directed a close to perfect movie. It is very funny, and very well acted. Robert Hansen and Sofie Lassen-Kahlke are making a good couple, and Rasmus Albeck as Victor's kid brother are so hounest I bet all with love him. The movie has broken close to all records in Denmark, and the success are deserved. This is going to be a classic, and funny both for young people learning to live, and old remembering their past.

Seriously. How did that happen? I'll admit that this is one of my least favorite books by Dennis Jürgensen(a man whose work I love with few exceptions), but it's far superior to this adaptation. You know what? I'll just say it, with no BS: Not all of his novels(and this goes for those of others, as well) can actually be successfully "translated" to this medium. I didn't dislike Victor as much before I saw this. Anyway, he becomes physically infatuated(no, really, there is nothing more substantial to it; he becomes interested in her without knowing her in the least, and neither of them have a shred of personality to boot, and the same goes for everyone else in this) with a girl a couple of grades above him in high school, and he doesn't let the fact that she's got a boyfriend(fortunately for his case, the dude's an obnoxious jerk, which makes one wonder why on Earth she's with him... he doesn't even put up a facade for her) get in his way. Ah, young love... or immature, selfish, lust-driven destructive behavior, at least. Huh. It doesn't sound as sweet as it would seem they thought it was when you put the right words to it. So, he stalks her as a result of his superficial obsession with her. He has to "resue her" from the other guy because she's blinded by... I don't know, his height or his teeth, and can't tell that he's with her apparently without caring about who she really is. Like our lead. ... Wait. Crap, the plot is imploding upon itself. Even with his nose not yet down on the surface of a mirror, Hansen simply is not charming. I'd also say that Lassen-Kahlke has got *nothing* on Wanting in the looks department, though I guess that's a matter of taste. Anyway, he's not likable, his "friends"(why in the name of all that is good and just are they hanging out with him?) aren't, no one in this whole thing is. Everyone has one dimension(if that) to them. The younger brothers(with the schtick of saying things that you don't expect to come out of the mouth of someone of that age... eugh) are particularly intolerable, on account of them not at all being natural in their performances. On the acting... it gets horrible at times, and mugging and being hammy are featured all too heavily in the nearly invariably failed attempts at humor. Oh, so does humiliation. And situations that no one has ever been in and thus cannot relate to. No one behaves like these cardboard cutouts do. Sense is routinely ignored and sacrificed entirely for the sake of jokes and gags that usually aren't half decent. Everyone is constantly tricking the main caricature(laughing yet?), and things work out for him in spite of the troubling fact he *does nothing*. This is meant to be an R-rated teen comedy, however, it's seldom funny. I'll grant that there are a handful of instances, but it's not worth the rest of this. At one point a spider goes missing, and the cinematic language(that is average for the rest of this) was so unintelligible that I didn't realize at first that they couldn't see where it was. And this contains some of the worst schlocky Danish emo pop music to hit the airwaves that remain in intense therapy to this day. There is plenty of strong language, a little sexuality(several hot chicks) and brief nudity in this. I recommend this to those who simply do not care about quality. 3/10

When I remember my childhood before I even got to enjoy the teenage life, this was one of the first movies about the teenage lifes I ever got to watch and I have to say I often thought about living like Anja, have to get guys like Viktor hanging around. This matches the typical life in the late 90's in DK and that's what I love about it.