An impossible tragedy, a movie that confounds all expectations and is full of a terrible suspense. You have never seen a cop movie like this before. I’m “biast” (pro): big fan of Susanne Bier and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
I can’t tell you too much about this movie, but I can tell you this: you have never seen a cop movie like this before. It takes on the near-guise of tough-guy crime drama we’re all too familiar with, but A Second Chance, from Danish director Susanne Bier (Serena) and screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen (they previously worked together on Love Is All You Need), ends up a demanding challenge to some deeply ingrained preconceived notions about fundamental human goodness and badness, of moral rights and wrongs, of the foundations of love and parenthood. This...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
I can’t tell you too much about this movie, but I can tell you this: you have never seen a cop movie like this before. It takes on the near-guise of tough-guy crime drama we’re all too familiar with, but A Second Chance, from Danish director Susanne Bier (Serena) and screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen (they previously worked together on Love Is All You Need), ends up a demanding challenge to some deeply ingrained preconceived notions about fundamental human goodness and badness, of moral rights and wrongs, of the foundations of love and parenthood. This...
- 3/23/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Director: Susanne Bier; Screenwriter: Anders Thomas Jensen; Starring: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Maria Bonnevie; Running time: 102 mins; Certificate: 15
The kitchen sink bubbles over with a soapy lather in this Danish yarn which benefits greatly from the shadowy lure of Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. He lends no small amount of dignity to a cop who makes some very questionable decisions that threaten his career and his family life while director Susanne Bier, who has carved a niche in melodrama with films like Open Hearts, Brothers and In a Better World, makes up for some of her sins, here, with a typically cool aesthetic.
Interesting sociological questions aren't so much raised as rooted out from a massively contrived opening act when police detective Andreas (Coster-Waldau) responds to a domestic disturbance at the flat of a known drug addict and ex-con Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). This bona fide...
The kitchen sink bubbles over with a soapy lather in this Danish yarn which benefits greatly from the shadowy lure of Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. He lends no small amount of dignity to a cop who makes some very questionable decisions that threaten his career and his family life while director Susanne Bier, who has carved a niche in melodrama with films like Open Hearts, Brothers and In a Better World, makes up for some of her sins, here, with a typically cool aesthetic.
Interesting sociological questions aren't so much raised as rooted out from a massively contrived opening act when police detective Andreas (Coster-Waldau) responds to a domestic disturbance at the flat of a known drug addict and ex-con Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). This bona fide...
- 3/17/2015
- Digital Spy
"A Second Chance" had its U.S. Premiere at the Miami Dade College's Miami International Film Festival last week - Isa: TrustNordisk, U.S. Distribution: None Yet.
Tugging at the audience’s heartstrings is one of Danish director Susanne Bier’s most pronounced talents. By constructing intricate stories that place her characters in extreme moral dilemmas, the director often makes it difficult for the viewer to decide if their actions are rational, justifiable, or a consequence of an uncontrollable emotional outburst. Such fervent ambivalence is rather conspicuous in her latest homegrown drama “A Second Chance,” in which all parties involved seek the vindication the title hints at. But as the plot advances through a series of startling revelations, the shifting nature of the truth shows that the one person who will learn the most from this ordeal is, of course, whom we least expect.
Enjoying a seemingly idyllic life in a gorgeous house by the sea, Andreas (Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a police officer, couldn’t ask for much else. His loving wife Anna (Maria Bonnevie) and their baby boy Alexander fill his existence with purpose. This apparent stability at home helps him maintain balance given the stress associated with his career. Ethereal landscapes, sunsets, and sunrises, adorn the visual aesthetic crafted by cinematographer Michael Snyman, which provides a certain melancholic beauty. It enhances the idea of a picture perfect setting, whilst also suggesting there might be bleakness forthcoming.
During a routine raid to a shabby apartment alongside his partner Simon (played by a convincingly distressed Ulrich Thomsen), Andreas recognizes fauxhawk-wearing brute Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), a physically imposing and ruthlessly violent junkie he had dealt with back in Copenhagen. Sanne (May Andersen), Tristan’s girlfriend in turn, also lives in the filthy place and is often forcefully drugged by him to prevent her from leaving. As the officers subdue the delinquents, a baby’s faint cries can be heard coming from a nearby closet. Andreas finds the couple's child, Sofus, covered in his own feces, a sign of the horrendous neglect he’s experienced. Juxtaposed with the exemplary household mentioned above, this image bluntly questions the qualities attached to someone fit to be a parent.
Profoundly affected by such gut-wrenching sight, and evidently thinking of his own son, Andreas urges his superiors to get Sofus away from his revolting parents before things take an even worse turn. Unexpectedly, notwithstanding the child’s appearance, the authorities reveal Sofus is not malnourished or hurt, thus he can’t be removed from Tristan’s grip. Unable to do much more Andreas returns to his family. He shares with Anna the sleepless nights that come with raising a child and the joy of witnessing its development. It’s all mostly ordinary till now, but when tragedy strikes, unthinkably drastic decisions will emerge.
Bouncing between his role as a father and as cop, Coster-Waldau plays Andreas with the utmost internal strength. It’s not unfounded bravado, but well-rounded confidence. He is ready to drag his friend Simon out of the dirt as the latter struggles with personal troubles related to his own son and his ex-wife. He turns to alcohol and women to appease his demons. Obviously Andreas is the more grounded of the two, and this leads one to believe that won’t crumble when confronted with pain. This is an erroneous assumption.
Slowly, Bier and her writing partner, Anders Thomas Jensen (Oscar-winning “In a Better World”), expose the fractured reality that wasn’t visible through the initial curtain of false perfection. Irritable and drained, Anna starts showing signs of an unstable emotional state, to which Andreas responds with patience and compassion. Subtly but effectively Bonnevie conveys Anna's anguish and unpredictable behavior, which eventually scalates aggressively. One morning, an unspeakable nightmare materializes when Anna wakes up and finds their son, Alexander, dead. Impulsively and afraid that Anna will hurt herself facing such terrible truth, Andreas decides to walk into Tristan and Sanne’s apartment to switch Sofus for lifeless Alexander.
The idea is asinine by anyone’s measures. Only a filmmaker like Bier - one who has proven to have a notable ability to explore major themes within ornate premises - would dare to push human drama to such shamelessly unfeasible territory. But as contrived as it all might sound, “A Second Chance” successfully convinces us to suppress our disbelief and to be touched by the protagonist’s Calvary. Once Andreas presents Anna with their new "adopted" baby, a series of rattling plot twist unravel. Meanwhile, Tristan designs an elaborate scheme to dispose of the body and defend his innocence, while Sanne maintains that the deceased boy is not her son.
Gasping at each increasingly more perplexing occurrence is inevitable. Andreas shattered world unfolds before us and his reactions are charged with heartbreaking desperation. Sorrow impairs his judgment. Fortunately, the circumstantial and often far-fetched realizations become palatable because the writers, via their characters, admit that what is taking place is beyond out of the ordinary, even surreal. If there were ever a film that could claim the idea that reality is often stranger than fiction as an inspiration, this would be it. Although somehow predictable, the resolution feels a bit more contrived than the rest of film probably due to its simplicity, but it could be the director’s way to imbue the film with some much needed reassurance.
Offering an array of incredibly riveting performances, Bier delivers a fascinating, if flawed, study on redemption. We as an audience are subconsciously interrogated about our expectations and preconceived notions of what being a “noble citizen” or a “wrongdoer” entail: How do we measure evil? What crimes are more despicable? What are we willing to forgive? Bier’s characters here range from the one-dimensional Tristan, to the marvelously layered Andreas - played superbly by nuanced Coster-Waldau– but they all play a compelling part in the cause-and-effect mechanic that reigns the film. Be prepared to accept that second chances or a personal transformation can come in a mysterious shape. An officer doesn’t have to become a sergeant to become a better person.
“A Second Chance” is an utterly powerful and deeply touching experience. It hits you like a shockwave to the heart with such intensity that is impossible to be indifferent to its stirring questions. Could it be accused of being manipulative? Sure. Does it succeed at being a stimulating and memorable cinematic work despite its shortcomings? Absolutely.
Follow SydneysBuzz on Twitter @sydneysbuzz and on Facebook
Follow Carlos Aguilar on Twitter @Carlos_Film and on Instagram @carlosfilm...
Tugging at the audience’s heartstrings is one of Danish director Susanne Bier’s most pronounced talents. By constructing intricate stories that place her characters in extreme moral dilemmas, the director often makes it difficult for the viewer to decide if their actions are rational, justifiable, or a consequence of an uncontrollable emotional outburst. Such fervent ambivalence is rather conspicuous in her latest homegrown drama “A Second Chance,” in which all parties involved seek the vindication the title hints at. But as the plot advances through a series of startling revelations, the shifting nature of the truth shows that the one person who will learn the most from this ordeal is, of course, whom we least expect.
Enjoying a seemingly idyllic life in a gorgeous house by the sea, Andreas (Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a police officer, couldn’t ask for much else. His loving wife Anna (Maria Bonnevie) and their baby boy Alexander fill his existence with purpose. This apparent stability at home helps him maintain balance given the stress associated with his career. Ethereal landscapes, sunsets, and sunrises, adorn the visual aesthetic crafted by cinematographer Michael Snyman, which provides a certain melancholic beauty. It enhances the idea of a picture perfect setting, whilst also suggesting there might be bleakness forthcoming.
During a routine raid to a shabby apartment alongside his partner Simon (played by a convincingly distressed Ulrich Thomsen), Andreas recognizes fauxhawk-wearing brute Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), a physically imposing and ruthlessly violent junkie he had dealt with back in Copenhagen. Sanne (May Andersen), Tristan’s girlfriend in turn, also lives in the filthy place and is often forcefully drugged by him to prevent her from leaving. As the officers subdue the delinquents, a baby’s faint cries can be heard coming from a nearby closet. Andreas finds the couple's child, Sofus, covered in his own feces, a sign of the horrendous neglect he’s experienced. Juxtaposed with the exemplary household mentioned above, this image bluntly questions the qualities attached to someone fit to be a parent.
Profoundly affected by such gut-wrenching sight, and evidently thinking of his own son, Andreas urges his superiors to get Sofus away from his revolting parents before things take an even worse turn. Unexpectedly, notwithstanding the child’s appearance, the authorities reveal Sofus is not malnourished or hurt, thus he can’t be removed from Tristan’s grip. Unable to do much more Andreas returns to his family. He shares with Anna the sleepless nights that come with raising a child and the joy of witnessing its development. It’s all mostly ordinary till now, but when tragedy strikes, unthinkably drastic decisions will emerge.
Bouncing between his role as a father and as cop, Coster-Waldau plays Andreas with the utmost internal strength. It’s not unfounded bravado, but well-rounded confidence. He is ready to drag his friend Simon out of the dirt as the latter struggles with personal troubles related to his own son and his ex-wife. He turns to alcohol and women to appease his demons. Obviously Andreas is the more grounded of the two, and this leads one to believe that won’t crumble when confronted with pain. This is an erroneous assumption.
Slowly, Bier and her writing partner, Anders Thomas Jensen (Oscar-winning “In a Better World”), expose the fractured reality that wasn’t visible through the initial curtain of false perfection. Irritable and drained, Anna starts showing signs of an unstable emotional state, to which Andreas responds with patience and compassion. Subtly but effectively Bonnevie conveys Anna's anguish and unpredictable behavior, which eventually scalates aggressively. One morning, an unspeakable nightmare materializes when Anna wakes up and finds their son, Alexander, dead. Impulsively and afraid that Anna will hurt herself facing such terrible truth, Andreas decides to walk into Tristan and Sanne’s apartment to switch Sofus for lifeless Alexander.
The idea is asinine by anyone’s measures. Only a filmmaker like Bier - one who has proven to have a notable ability to explore major themes within ornate premises - would dare to push human drama to such shamelessly unfeasible territory. But as contrived as it all might sound, “A Second Chance” successfully convinces us to suppress our disbelief and to be touched by the protagonist’s Calvary. Once Andreas presents Anna with their new "adopted" baby, a series of rattling plot twist unravel. Meanwhile, Tristan designs an elaborate scheme to dispose of the body and defend his innocence, while Sanne maintains that the deceased boy is not her son.
Gasping at each increasingly more perplexing occurrence is inevitable. Andreas shattered world unfolds before us and his reactions are charged with heartbreaking desperation. Sorrow impairs his judgment. Fortunately, the circumstantial and often far-fetched realizations become palatable because the writers, via their characters, admit that what is taking place is beyond out of the ordinary, even surreal. If there were ever a film that could claim the idea that reality is often stranger than fiction as an inspiration, this would be it. Although somehow predictable, the resolution feels a bit more contrived than the rest of film probably due to its simplicity, but it could be the director’s way to imbue the film with some much needed reassurance.
Offering an array of incredibly riveting performances, Bier delivers a fascinating, if flawed, study on redemption. We as an audience are subconsciously interrogated about our expectations and preconceived notions of what being a “noble citizen” or a “wrongdoer” entail: How do we measure evil? What crimes are more despicable? What are we willing to forgive? Bier’s characters here range from the one-dimensional Tristan, to the marvelously layered Andreas - played superbly by nuanced Coster-Waldau– but they all play a compelling part in the cause-and-effect mechanic that reigns the film. Be prepared to accept that second chances or a personal transformation can come in a mysterious shape. An officer doesn’t have to become a sergeant to become a better person.
“A Second Chance” is an utterly powerful and deeply touching experience. It hits you like a shockwave to the heart with such intensity that is impossible to be indifferent to its stirring questions. Could it be accused of being manipulative? Sure. Does it succeed at being a stimulating and memorable cinematic work despite its shortcomings? Absolutely.
Follow SydneysBuzz on Twitter @sydneysbuzz and on Facebook
Follow Carlos Aguilar on Twitter @Carlos_Film and on Instagram @carlosfilm...
- 3/16/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Title: A Second Chance Director: Susanne Bier Starring: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maria Bonnevie, Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lykke May Anderson Susanne Bier casts Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – of whom we became fond of in ‘Game of Thrones’ – to play a veteran police officer with a wife and new baby, who makes a fateful decision. The Academy Award-winning director, has the magic touch of a puppeteer in directing her actors to authenticity. But this time she has failed in the selection of the script, written by Anders Thomas Jensen. We know from the very beginning what is coming, since we are nurtured along the way by a symmetry of circumstances, with [ Read More ]
The post A Second Chance Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post A Second Chance Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/12/2015
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
A Second Chance
Written by Anders Thomas Jensen
Directed by Susanne Bier
Denmark, 2014
Oscar-winning Danish director Susanne Bier’s latest film is an emotionally-charged thriller, centered on a successful police officer who has recently started a family. Andreas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his wife Anna (Maria Bonnevie) are coming to terms with their new lives as parents, struggling to adapt to their baby’s challenging sleeping patterns and find time to spend alone together. However, they are devoted parents who are raising their baby in idyllic circumstances, with absolute financial security and a stunning lakeside home.
Andreas is reminded just how good they have it when he is called to a domestic incident involving a junkie, Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), who he sent to prison on a previous assignment. Tristan’s partner, Sanne (May Andersen), tries to block Andreas from entering their bathroom, but, when he forces his way through, he...
Written by Anders Thomas Jensen
Directed by Susanne Bier
Denmark, 2014
Oscar-winning Danish director Susanne Bier’s latest film is an emotionally-charged thriller, centered on a successful police officer who has recently started a family. Andreas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his wife Anna (Maria Bonnevie) are coming to terms with their new lives as parents, struggling to adapt to their baby’s challenging sleeping patterns and find time to spend alone together. However, they are devoted parents who are raising their baby in idyllic circumstances, with absolute financial security and a stunning lakeside home.
Andreas is reminded just how good they have it when he is called to a domestic incident involving a junkie, Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), who he sent to prison on a previous assignment. Tristan’s partner, Sanne (May Andersen), tries to block Andreas from entering their bathroom, but, when he forces his way through, he...
- 2/22/2015
- by Rob Dickie
- SoundOnSight
A new film from Susanne Bier is always something to look forward to, but it's a little surprising the film chosen to have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival is A Second Chance (En chance til) and not Serena as this is now Bier's second film to be released since Serena (which stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper) completed filming. Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau ("Game of Thrones") and Ulrich Thomsen, Second Chance asks How far are decent human beings willing to go, when tragedy blurs the line between just and unjustc Written by Bier's frequent screenwriting collaborator, Anders Thomas Jensen (In a Better World), this drama is about how easily we lose our grasp on justice when confronted with the unthinkable, and life as we know it hangs by a thread. Maria Bonnevie, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Lykke May Andersen co-star. Check out the trailer below. sb id="963485" height...
- 7/22/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The 39th Toronto International Film Festival has announced its initial slate of galas and special presentations, which includes 37 world premieres and several films with Oscar ambitions. The Judge, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as a big-city lawyer who reluctantly returns home and ends up defending his revered father (Robert Duvall) against criminal charges, will have its world premiere in Toronto. His Avengers pal, Chris Evans, will unveil his own directorial debut in Toronto, titled Before We Go.
Also noteworthy: James Gandolfini’s final film, The Drop, which also stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace; another Jason Reitman Toronto world premiere,...
Also noteworthy: James Gandolfini’s final film, The Drop, which also stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace; another Jason Reitman Toronto world premiere,...
- 7/22/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
The Toronto International Film Festival announced its initial wave of 2014 premieres and galas this morning and it features some familiar awards titles, some big stars and some unexpected studio titles. Among the major studio films, David Dobkin's "The Judge" with Robert Downey Jr. and Antoine Fuqua's "The Equalizer" each received gala slots and should premiere over the festival's opening weekend. Other announced galas so far include Bennett Miller's acclaimed "Foxcatcher," which debuted at Cannes, and Mike Binder's "Black and White" starring Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer and Anthony Mackie. Toronto has also scheduled special gala screenings for David Cronenberg's "Map to the Stars" with Julianne Moore and Robert Pattinson, François Ozon's "The New Girlfriend," Ed Zwick's "Pawn Sacrifice" with Tobey Maguire, Lone Scherfig's "The Riot Club," Jean-Marc Vallée's "Wild," Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano's "Samba" and Shawn Levy's "This is Where I Leave You...
- 7/22/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Kid Rock seems to like the name Anderson - or Andersen. With his divorce from 2006 wife Pamela Anderson almost finalized, the rock rapper is now dating Danish Sports Illustrated model May Andersen. The new couple arrived hand-in-hand at Sir Elton John's 60th birthday party concert in New York at the weekend and sat through the three hour show together. The Madison Square Garden party/show came after Rock and Andersen attended the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony together on March 12. Andersen's past boyfriends include Jackass star Steve-O. Kid Rock split from Anderson in November after four months of marriage.
- 3/27/2007
- WENN
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