Thursday - Movies
The Age
Thursday May 15, 2008
Prague (2006)
World Movies, 9.55pmIf Suzanne Bier's After the Wedding two weeks ago wasn't enough to convince you of the brilliance of modern Danish cinema, here is another gem. Cristoffer (Mads Mikkelsen) and Maja (Stine Stengade) travel from Denmark to Prague to collect the body of Cristoffer's dead father. They hadn't spoken for 20 years, so Cristoffer is a reluctant rather than grieving son, hoping to get the business over as quickly as possible. But his father's lawyer (Borivoj Navratil) has stories to tell that will change forever Cristoffer's perception of the past and future. This is a blistering drama, with scenes of extraordinary emotional power. An argument in a Prague street will leave you breathless. It is truly remarkable the way director Ole Christian Madsen can generate such energy without it for a moment feeling like a drama workshop. Like Suzanne Bier, Madsen is a committed filmmaker with an unshakeable belief in actors and the truth they can bring to a scene. While not as uplifting as After the Wedding, this is an intense portrayal of male angst, of a man faced with a return to zero and unsure of what it takes to keep moving forward. -- SCOTT MURRAY
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