Submarino (2010)

I have just watched this film from SBS Australian network, I was glued to the screen and wanted to give my gratitude to the writer and producer, this to me was a film that is dateless as we see life that effects and infects from the time that we enter this world It's a reflection of life itself as we start out so pure but within life somehow we are exposed to a potential stream of danger and propaganda I grabbed my son and hugged him very tight as I will try to prevent him from such an experience Well done Mr Thomas Vinterberg your film was incredible and powerful, yes it did leave me sad but sad in a good way Very kind regards DGB

There's a very fine line between probing into human failings and all-out misery. Director Thomas Vinterberg's latest balances itself precariously between the two throughout, wavering between plot elements that seem grounded in its characters' emotional realities and those that are unnecessarily grim. Ultimately however, the movie redeems itself thanks to fine ensemble work and its daring, assured direction."Submarino" is the unforgettable story of two brothers, long estranged and haunted by a dark secret buried in their past, who live separate lives in modern day Copenhagen. Nick (Jakob Cedergren), a violent ex-con, tries to help out an old friend, but falls quickly into old habits. Meanwhile, his brother (Peter Plaugborg), raises his son, but is unable to escape his own demons of addiction. Each is on a path to self-destruction, and they must find each other -- before it's too late.The cast is uniformly strong -- both Cedegren and Plaugborg are solidly believable in their roles. Cedegren's acting, minimal and yet poignant, is especially remarkable. Vinterberg has a genuine respect for his characters and a desire to see them transcend their trappings, and his film, in turn, mostly succeeds where it could so easily have fallen short. When its numerous narrative threads finally converge, the resulting pathos feels genuinely earned and authentic. Adapted from the novel by Jonas T. Bengtsson, "Submarino" was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival.

Danish screenwriter and director Thomas Vinterberg impressed me beyond words with his second feature film "The Celebration" (1998) which was made three years after he founded Dogma 95 with Lars Von Trier and strongly influenced by this concept. In his latest film it early on becomes evident that Thomas Vinterberg has distanced himself from the Dogma 95 period and created a far more individual style. The story is set in present day Copenhagen, Denmark and tells a tale of two brothers branded by a childhood incident which has estranged them. Nick battles his anger on a daily basis through beer-drinking and weightlifting and has a strange relationship to his single-parent neighbour named Sofie, and on the other side of town his younger brother named Martin tries to raise his six-year-old son while nursing his heroin addiction. "Submarino" which was adapted from a novel written by Danish author Jonas T. Bengtsson in 2007, is reminiscent of Danish filmmaker Ole Christian Madsen's "Nordkraft" (2005) though it proceeds it by far. The bleak and unappealing milieu depictions are very authentic and the harshness of this unsentimental story about family ties are both intensified and contrasted by the deliberate use of strong light and vivid colors. Thomas Vinterberg and Danish co-writer and filmmaker Tobias Lindholm conveys this gritty and raw social-drama through a forceful linear narrative, tells several minor stories through a few supporting characters played convincingly by actress Patricia Schumann and Danish actor Morten Rose which builds up towards a grand scale study of character concerning a man's yearning for reconciliation and redemption, which is the core of this majestic piece of storytelling which i consider as one of the greatest achievements in recent years of Scandinavian cinema."Submarino", which premiered In competition at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival in 2010, is a small love-story, a story about a dysfunctional friendship and a multifaceted story about a deeply damaged relationship between two brothers who are gradually descending into unredeemable paths of self-destruction. Nordic filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg's brilliant filming and mixture of long and short takes increases the pace in a thematically challenging film which is seen from the main character's point of view as he often wanders through the streets of Denmark's capital looking for the courage to once and for all confront his past and seek out his brother. This complex character is embodied by Danish actor Jacob Cedergren whose towering acting performance earned him a Best Actor nomination at The 23rd European Film Awards in 2010.

I just had the honour to watch this Danish film at the Berlin Film Festival, and I have the feeling that this could be the winner. I don't want to give anything away, so I will be very general.What we witness is the compelling story of two brothers divided by life, united by the same tragic event. Both adrift in their sorrow, they run down their self-destructive paths, with little to fight for.It is no big drama, though. The narration is gentle and respectful, and leaves the audience in the position of not being able to judge the characters for their almost invariably wrong choices, but with a strong feeling of compassion for all of them.The performances of the whole cast are extremely convincing (including the little boy playing Martin)and Vinterberg's direction - unlike his previous Dogma movies - is at the service of the disturbing realism of the story, working at the same time with a beautiful composition of the scenes (the cinematography, from the very first scenes, helps going straight to the soul). Chapeau.A special praise has to go to the two actors playing the grown-up brothers. Jakob Cedergren (Nick) in particular makes us see the fragility of his character through his eyes, despite his apparent and imposing physical strength. But the whole cast is really credible all along, both with their physical appearance and their realistic acting.This movie, with its realistic description of the consequences and the dynamics of substance addiction, destroyed families (what a critic to the Scandinavian society, where alcoholism is a devastating plague) should be screened in every high school.And, let's say the truth: if you don't find yourself silently weeping in the last prison and church scenes, you most likely have no heart at all. I am fighting with my tears right now, just playing the movie in my mind again.