Watch A Family For Free

Please don't spend money on this.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Extremely gripping and very well acted Danish film is no easy watch as it's cutting no corners. Jesper Christensen is sublime and proves that he's not only one of the best Danish actors, but one of the best, period. It's a film about overcoming illness, staying together as a family and about giving up hopes and dreams to support your loved ones.Normally, I'm not overly fond of the kitchen-sink approach that most Danish films tend to use, but when it's this well acted, with a tight script, it's hard not to be touched.Pernille Fischer Christensen is a very talented director and she orchestrates the film beautifully and sure-footed. If you can handle a tough, no-holds-barred drama, A Family delivers and stays with you afterwards.

"En familie" revolves around the confusion caused by the death of a leading family member. The uncertainty it causes and the power vacuum it creates. Now, this could be an interesting story if the involved characters were interesting - if there was a sense of conflict among the succeeding generation. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If there is any conflict, it's between the dying generation (Richard Rheinwald) and his children about the future of the family bakery that has been in the family for generations and that Richard considers his lifework. None of his dimwitted children are capable of or interested in continuing the bakery business.Other reviewers has praised this movie for the emotion it displays. If brooding confused adults is your thing, then this movie has emotion. Albeit unbelievable. While Richard Rheinwald has a seemingly genuine personality that slowly descends into despair, his family is remarkably dull. Most of the family members are just briefly explored. Most attention is given to Ditte Rheinwald, Richards daughter. She cannot decide whether or not to have a child. Whether or not to move to New York or stay in Denmark. Whether or not to be an artist or a baker. Whether or not to put her father in a nursing home or just his home. And when she eventually makes decisions, she remains confused and uncertain about them. In one scene she lashes out against her boyfriend and accuses him of not having any character, creating a psychological projection of her own insecurities.Anyway, for me it was a drag to follow these indecisive daughters. I guess the message that the director may be trying to convey is that strong dominating patriarchs can perhaps create dull confused children. I don't know. This movie didn't leave any impression on me, it didn't give me anything to reflect upon.I decided to give this movie 3 stars in recognition of the sporadic glimpses of comedy and in recognition of Jesper Christensens and Pilou Asbæks performances.

This film starts with a short introduction into the life of a family and the reason why it still is how it is. Basically a fairly normal family with two grown up daughters, divorced parents, a father that is living with his new girlfriend and their two children. All of it completely normal.Even though it doesn't follow a high pace it is entirely captivating. It grips the audience and slowly takes them on a journey through the lives of what is just a family. With everything that happens one can feel more of a bond with the members of the family and feel their joy and pain - and that works very well.The way the characters are played is amazing. Every single one of them comes across as a completely real person and every single event is believable. The gripping tension is enough to have one leave the cinema slightly dented and bruised - in a good way.9 out of 10 corner stones

I had a chance to watch it there. I won't spoil the ending, but I will discuss certain aspects of the movie that could be considered as spoiler, though I guess nothing that wouldn't be standing in short review of the movie.Now that that's out of the way, this movie will have a special audience. It's a movie about real life, something quite a few moviegoers go to the cinema to escape from. Because it is too close to life. In this case it was very close to something that happened to me too. Or my father in that case, as the father of the movie here. It has quite a few sub-stories that form the central story, about the sickness of the father.The trick here of course being, that you get to see the family as it is, before the sickness gets revealed. So it starts off pretty light, but gets heavy, real heavy after that.If you had a similar experience, I'm not sure you will be able to stomach it (no pun intended). That depends entirely on you (it does not have to be your father, it could be another family member or friend that had this sickness).