A SECOND CHANCE
Denmark, 2014, 102 minutes, Colour.
Nikolaj Coster- Waldau, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Ulrich Thomsen, Maria Bonnevie, May Andersen.
Directed by Susanne Bier.
A Second Chance is a strong drama from Denmark, directed by Susanne Bier who won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, In a Better World. She has made films in Danish: Brothers, After the Wedding, Open Hearts, as well as films in English, Things We Lost in the Fire, Serena and her award-winning miniseries of John Le Carre’s The Night Manager.
While the film opens like a police drama, two detectives working together, strong actors Nikolai Coster- Waldau and Ulrich Thomsen as Andreas and Simon, doing drug busts, the film turns into a domestic drama with great pathos. Andreas and his wife Anna have a little baby to which they are devoted, he taking the baby drives, she taking it for walks. One morning, the baby is discovered dead, the mother unable to face reality, the father remembering a case where they discovered a baby with two addicts, covered in excrement, neglected.
Andreas decides to exchange the babies – but, as always, there are consequences, this time tragic, especially for the mother.
The film is a strong psychological drama, especially the state of mind of a devoted mother and yet her anxiety about being a mother and shaking the baby too much which leads to the baby’s death. The film also studies the state of mind of the detective and his devotion to his wife in taking the living child.
A companion film with this theme of a couple taking a baby which is not their own is the very striking The Light Between Oceans, with Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vickander.
1. The title, a child and the opportunity, for Andreas, his wife, for Sanne, Tristan? The theme and pathos?
2. The Danish settings, the town, the police precincts, the squats, the drug raid, Simon at the bar, Andreas and Anna at home, the bridge and the water, the school and the kidnapping, the burial in the forest? The musical score?
3. The director, her sensibilities, female perspective, the focus on the mothers and the babies?
4. Andreas and Simon, their work together, going to Tristan’s house, the confrontation, bashing on the door, finding the baby and its being covered in excrement, the parents on drugs? Tristan and his past, drug dealing, the raid?
5. Andreas and Anna, their baby, happy at home, Andrew taking the baby for drives, Anna for walks, love, the death of the baby, Anna refusing to accept it, not to consult the authorities? Threatening suicide? Sedated? The new baby, the acceptance, going for the walk? Stopping the truck, giving the driver the baby, her killing herself?
6. Andreas, his love, work, helping Simon and his drinking, antagonism towards Tristan? Seeing the baby? Anna, the death of the child, his decision, going to take the baby, cleaning it, fostering it? The attacks on Tristan, angry with Sanne, the interviews? Anna’s death? His mother coming, her parents, the funeral?
7. Tristan, his story, the death of the child, thinking Sanne did it, the scene of the kidnap, the reality of his bearing the baby, digging up the child, Sanne in the institution, Andreas and his visits?
8. Simon and his looking at the pictures, realisation of the truth, confronting Andreas? Returning the child, Sanne and her happiness, Andreas doing the right thing, losing his job?
9. The later scene in the supermarket, Sanne, the boy, healthy, Andreas and the boy talking? A satisfying ending?
