Impressing; what the title proposes, I mean. You can't really expect anything certain with a title like that when you haven't heard about the film or its theme before. The United Kingdom has some good cinema, made with all the effort by people that, with movies like this one, get the shot they wait during their whole lives.
Lone Scherfig, a Danish director and Anders Thomas Jensen, his writing partner, have accomplished an original fable about life; love, relationships, family and, well Death. The tagline proposes: "The life he wanted to end, was just about to begin", in reference to Wilbur (Jamie Sives), who, when we first meet him, has just tried to kill himself.
"It gets more and more humiliating every time I try to do it and I fail", Wilbur tells his older brother Harbour (Adrian Rawlins), as they get out of the hospital. Both of their parents died, but Wilbur suffered his mother's death. He felt it differently and his parents loved him, probably more than they loved his brother.
They are different persons. Harbour loves Wilbur and wants to take care of him. They have a bookshop and Wilbur doesn't care about t, but Harbour does. He maintains them both and tries to prevent Wilbur from achieving his only goal: end with his life.
One of the magical ideas the movie has is that it won't let that happen. With a beautifully constructed screenplay, the authors and creators put a woman in the brothers' lives; Alice (Shirley Henderson). Harbour meets her first, and tells his brother about her hair and her smile. Wilbur meets her, then, as she saves his life when he was trying to Soon, Harbour and Alice fall in love, and she moves in with them, alongside her daughter.
They all seem happy until Wilbur tries it again, so we can meet very realistic characters, as Dr. Horst (Mads Mikkelsen), a psychiatrist with a good heart that's only trying to help, and some women that like Wilbur. But Wilbur doesn't see women, at least not until his brother ends up in the hospital, and he "meets" Alice. We understand the flames of love they feel for each other because the film has made the characters sympathetic until this moment.
It's these three people story what turns around, and the performances. I'll try to catch Jamie Sives entire filmography. He is so natural and warm; with that innocent face and look that hides great acting qualities. Adrian Rawlins is very quiet but expressive at the same time, in the correct moments. He's just there as any normal people, without trying to call attention Just waiting for the moment. The familiar face of Shirley Henderson is a big surprise. Shining in a role between to men, as the only girl You got to have the presence.
It goes like this. For Harbour, it is happiness he never felt, and you can tell because of how he sounds when he says "I'm going home with my wife and daughter". He lives for them. For Alice is the place she couldn't have; a safe home and company she was missing probably.
And for Wilbur it is rediscovering a life he gave for done; it's feeling again In the wrong circumstances and place, yes, but feeling; and the only thing life ask from us is that we thank her for being in the world, because there's nothing more beautiful than being alive. Well there's probably one thing, but that's life itself.
Lone Scherfig, a Danish director and Anders Thomas Jensen, his writing partner, have accomplished an original fable about life; love, relationships, family and, well Death. The tagline proposes: "The life he wanted to end, was just about to begin", in reference to Wilbur (Jamie Sives), who, when we first meet him, has just tried to kill himself.
"It gets more and more humiliating every time I try to do it and I fail", Wilbur tells his older brother Harbour (Adrian Rawlins), as they get out of the hospital. Both of their parents died, but Wilbur suffered his mother's death. He felt it differently and his parents loved him, probably more than they loved his brother.
They are different persons. Harbour loves Wilbur and wants to take care of him. They have a bookshop and Wilbur doesn't care about t, but Harbour does. He maintains them both and tries to prevent Wilbur from achieving his only goal: end with his life.
One of the magical ideas the movie has is that it won't let that happen. With a beautifully constructed screenplay, the authors and creators put a woman in the brothers' lives; Alice (Shirley Henderson). Harbour meets her first, and tells his brother about her hair and her smile. Wilbur meets her, then, as she saves his life when he was trying to Soon, Harbour and Alice fall in love, and she moves in with them, alongside her daughter.
They all seem happy until Wilbur tries it again, so we can meet very realistic characters, as Dr. Horst (Mads Mikkelsen), a psychiatrist with a good heart that's only trying to help, and some women that like Wilbur. But Wilbur doesn't see women, at least not until his brother ends up in the hospital, and he "meets" Alice. We understand the flames of love they feel for each other because the film has made the characters sympathetic until this moment.
It's these three people story what turns around, and the performances. I'll try to catch Jamie Sives entire filmography. He is so natural and warm; with that innocent face and look that hides great acting qualities. Adrian Rawlins is very quiet but expressive at the same time, in the correct moments. He's just there as any normal people, without trying to call attention Just waiting for the moment. The familiar face of Shirley Henderson is a big surprise. Shining in a role between to men, as the only girl You got to have the presence.
It goes like this. For Harbour, it is happiness he never felt, and you can tell because of how he sounds when he says "I'm going home with my wife and daughter". He lives for them. For Alice is the place she couldn't have; a safe home and company she was missing probably.
And for Wilbur it is rediscovering a life he gave for done; it's feeling again In the wrong circumstances and place, yes, but feeling; and the only thing life ask from us is that we thank her for being in the world, because there's nothing more beautiful than being alive. Well there's probably one thing, but that's life itself.