KAERLIGHED PA FILM (JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY)

Denmark, 2007, 100 minutes, Colour.
Anders W. Berthelsen, Rebecka Hemse, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Charlotte Fich, Bent Mejding, Ewa Froling.
Directed by Ole Bornedal.

It is and it isn't. At least not 'just' another love story. It is a personal drama and a crime thriller. And very well done.

Immediately we see three love scenes: a dead man on a dark, rainy street, telling us about dying; a happy suburban couple talking in bed; a drugged couple and a potential shooting. Then back we go to understand what has happened.

Jonah is a photographer for the police at crime scenes. In his old car, he causes an accident on the road and the woman in the drug scene, Julia, is injured and goes into coma. Jonah feels guilty and visits the hospital to see Julia and is mistakenly welcomed by her family as the expected boyfriend, Sebastian. As might be anticipated, Jonah takes on the identity of Sebastian which leads to a collapse of his way of life and his marriage as he tries to bring Julia back to normal. That would be drama enough but there are complications with the real Sebastian who was a drug courier and was reported dead in Cambodia.

There is a matter of fact Scandinavian realism about the production but, increasingly, there are dreams, clips of memories as Julia begins to recover. And there are some twists that might not have been anticipated which brings quite some final tension for Jonah and Julia.

An intelligent thriller for adults (with a couple of brutal scenes of bludgeoning).

1.The title, audience expectations?

2.The opening three scenes setting the scene: the dead man on the wet pavement and his voice-over; the drug dealers and the threatening of death with the gun in Cambodia; the relationship between Jonah and his wife? Anticipation of themes?

3.The Danish background, the city, comments on life in Denmark? Homes, hospitals? Realistic? The seaside and the seaside house? The musical score?

4.Cambodia, the exotic Asian sequences? The Asian drug couriers? Diamond-smuggling?

5.Jonah and his life, seeing him dead, listening to his narration? His work as a forensic photographer, his relationship with his friends, Frank and his comments? The colleague who laughed at his plight?

6.The build-up to the accident, the car and its not being in good condition? The talk with his wife, buying new cars? Money, holiday? The children? His feeling blame for the accident, going to help Julia, her sitting on the ground, going with her in the ambulance? Calling him Sebastian? Her going into coma?

7.Jonah at the hospital, his being mistaken for Sebastian, the family all responding and the expectations of him? The pressure from the doctor? His telling his friends the story? His writing the note, wanting to tell the truth? The return, Julia regaining consciousness? Pressured by everyone? The visits, talking to her, the kiss? The sexual relationship? Her being pregnant? The doctor’s condemnatory reaction? The real Sebastian and his head being swathed – and the glimpses of him?

8.Mette, the tension with Jonah? His avoiding reality, the build-up to the supermarket scene and the confrontation, his decision, her being so upset?

9.The character of Julia, her growing memories? The information about Sebastian, his fingerprints in the hospital, the mystery because of his death certificate?

10.Julia going home, Jonah helping? The family celebration and meal? Jonah and his continued involvement, care, his not cashing her father’s cheque?

11.The holiday, the coast, Jonah as Sebastian in her memory, the disturbing glimpses and regaining of memories? Her puzzle?

12.The real Sebastian, his visit, having the meal with the two, playing mind games, Julia’s memories, the truth? His being a courier, the diamonds in the case, the pursuit by the gangsters? Julia and her desperation, the shooting? Jonah and his reaction?

13.Jonah’s return to his wife, being sorry, the hopes, the possibility of reconciliation? His having taken on someone else’s identity, lived that, the crisis – all through the case that he found in the car? The effect on him – and the prospect of the future?

14.The irony of the triads, killing Jonah in the street, his wife’s grief?

15.The success of the film as a thriller, personal drama, mystery?