ADAM'S APPLES (2005)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/
Never before have I seen comedy played out in such a dramatic sense.
Anders Thomas Jensen is probably one of the most distinguished screenwriters out there, even though he is Danish. This is the guy who wrote Brothers, The Duchess and several other high-rated films, as well as a director of top-notch Dogma 95 films.
I am inspired to learn more about the Danish film industry. Anders T Jensen has worked in the creation process of many Western hits, but it doesn't stop there. Ulrich Thomsen, the neo-Nazi, has also been in a handful of American films, such as the 2009 film Duplicity as well as a supporting role in 20007's Hitman. Mads Mikkelsen, the priest (AMAZING actor) had a role in the 2006 Casino Royale remake, and he is going to play in the upcoming hit, Clash of the Titans.
Adam's Apples starts with Ivan, the priest, driving Adam to the church. Adam is fresh out of jail and has been sentenced to 12 weeks of community service before he can be released back into society.
Adam is bothered by Ivan, who refuses to acknowledge any misdoings in the world is not the direct cause of the devil. We first see this in Adam's entrance review. Ivan is reading the papers the prison sent with Adam. The paperwork says Adam is pure evil. "This is rude, no man can be evil, let alone pure evil" Ivan retaliates.
Adam cannot get through Ivan's head. He tries upsetting him via words, via physical violence, but each time Ivan turns the other cheek, only expressing either gratitude of indifference.
That is, until Adam starts to get through to Ivan, causing him to bleed from the ears.
The comedy was very forthright (almost French in style), but done in such a dramatic sense. At first I was hesitant at understanding the intentions of the comedic scenes, however halfway through the film I finally understood due to a scene involving many people being shot, for what would normally be fatal, but walking away arm in arm as cripples.
This type of story has been done before. Many times in fact. This movie is a satire of these stories, however not in a sense of making fun of them, but more so a re-imagining.
RATINGS:
Personal Affect 5/5
I enjoyed it thouroughly and it flowed like a smooth yet fruity wine. It kept me uplifted yet intrigued. Beyond all else, it posed a thought-provoking situation.
Visuals 4/5
For a director who is notorious for Dogma 95 style filmmaking, I was pleasantly surprised in how well everything turned out. The crew really understood how to use nat lighting to it's fullest, and when it was trying to capture moods it would become visually stunning. The camerawork and angles were well thought out as well to match the mood and to illustrate how at points some are metaphorically larger than life.
Story 5/5
What an amazing writer. He's on my favorites list.
Overall 5/5
Need I say more?
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