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Powerful

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Blistering performances.

Based on true events, this film depicts the life and marriage of the Danish King Christian VII with the British princess Carolina Matilde, and her love affair with the court physician Dr. Struensee. Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, this European film, Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, has a screenplay by Rasmus Heisterberg and Nikolaj Arcel. The cast is headed by Alicia Vikander, Mads Mikkelsen and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard.Royal weddings have always been source of controversy throughout history, mixing romance with politics or, most often, completely excluding love and giving rise to numerous extramarital affairs with the children that resulted from them. This is one of those cases, fueled by the youth of a dreamy Queen and the revulsion that she developed by her husband, a mad king endowed with an obscene and repulsive behavior. The actors fulfilled their roles well, but Alicia Vikander stood out throughout the film, managing to impress the audience with the dreams and illusions of her character, in a route towards a tragic destiny. Mikkel Boe Følsgaard also shone in the king's role, showing us, thanks to a superb interpretation, not only a mad king but a very sick and troubled man, torn between his uncontrollable appetites and his duties as absolute monarch, innocent as he cannot control himself. Mads Mikkelsen also did an excellent job, but was less convincing in his role. His Struensee seems more interested in changing the country's laws than to live a romance with the Queen. The way the actor thought his character suffers from lack of passion and romance in the way he counter-acts with Vikander. It seems that Struensee also sleeps with the Queen for convenience, not for having in love with her.The scenarios are excellent and can perfectly acclimatize history in the country and the palace. The use of computerized effects to show, early in the film, the arrival of the Princess's ship to the Danish harbor, is the scene that mostly disengages from the rest of the film. It simply odds with everything else and it would be preferable to represent this moment in another way. The soundtrack complied well with its role, and the sad melodies that fill the film are truly remarkable.

Set in 1767, the British Princess Caroline is sent to Denmark to marry the mentally ill and promiscuous King Christian. A German doctor, Johann, a free thinker, is recruited to help organize the king's affairs. He influences the king's policies with Enlightenment ideas, undermining the interests of the ruling class. Johann has a child by the king's neglected wife which gives the conservative ruling council their opportunity to indict Johann of treason, resulting in his execution and restoration of feudal law.Based on a true story this is an intriguing piece of history well told in a well made film. Convincing, excellent acting within luscious, superbly filmed settings.

I am going to start by telling you that this is the first review I am publishing here, on IMDb, and I must say I am very lucky to have discovered, on this occasion, this Danish cinematographer who seems very promising and from whom us, the generation raised by Hollywood, have so much to learn. "En kongelig affaere" (which is Danish for "A royal affair" - this has also given me the privilege to notice how beautiful this language is, a fine combination between English and German) is truly invaluable for history buffs and not only. Its story presents us the 18th century Danish society, a society ruled by the Church's superstitions and by its and the nobles', as well as by all those close to king Christian the Seventh's abuses. Johan Struensee (played by the astounding Mads Mikkelsen.) is the royal family's doctor. As a cultivated character with a vanguard mentality, he never hesitates, when given the chance, to put into practice, with the help of the great influence he gradually acquires at court, ideas inspired by the likes of Rousseau and Voltaire, classical Enlightenment writers, contributing, by doing so, to Denmark's modernization and prosperity. He slowly becomes the king's adviser (who suffers of an extremely rare disease which consists in repeated nervous breakdowns and constantly getting into a state of madness), only to turn later on into the queen's lover. This film is going to leave you breathless and have you be delighted by every single minute you spend in front of the screen. Enjoy!

You get the feeling early on in this film things are not going to end well. But it is movie making and not a documentary as the kings first wife in real life had seven kids and the second supposedly had twelve (then another half dozen or so with several mistresses... the man liked to copulate). It's a good film nonetheless, and the acting is top notch.. Mikkelsen and Vikander.. bit.ly/12EJNhc .. are superb.. the entire cast is truly deserved of high praise. Should you enjoy period movies this one could be right up your alley. Wonder what it is these period films have such an allure. In reality the lives of a majority of the population were totally unappealing.. but we're really not watchin most any of that.