The Hour of the Lynx (I Lossens time).

Another Danish film that has to date not gained a UK release, only seen at the 2014 Glasgow Film Festival where it was described as ‘an emotionally captivating exploration of belief, science and mental care in the heart of Scandinavia’[1] and I would not disagree but I would add that I found it a spiritual film that touches on religion and how a persons upbringing can seriously effect their actions in later life. A movie that is certainly enhanced by the beautiful, some times snow covered, scenery - a credit to DOP Lasse Frank Johannessen.

A child's upbringing is all important!

Psychiatrist Lisbeth approaches Helen, who is a priest, with a desperate plea for help. A young man, who has been sent to a high security psychiatric ward after having killed an old couple, has attempted suicide while rambling about God. Having been part of an experiment attempting to humanize inmates by assigning them pets, the young man has suddenly gone ballistic. Fearing that he will attempt suicide again priest and scientist must now confront their mutual animosities while trying to grasp the truth. In a race against time the two women begin a shocking journey deeper and deeper into the sick mind of a young man's soul[2].

The instantly recognisable Sofie Grabol is the priest.... 

Based on Per Olov Enquist’s 1988 play of the same name The Hour of the Lynx (2013) includes a great performance from Frederik Christian Johansen (A Royal Affair 2012) as Drengen the young killer, Sofie Grabol, who played Sarah Lund in the BBC4 hit TV series The Killing between 2007 and 2012 is Helen, Signe Egholm Olsen (Borgan 2010 to 2013) is the psychiatrist Lisbeth and Soren Malling, who you will know as Torben Frills in Borgan and possible as Peter Ludvigson in A Hijacking (2012), plays the Head Security Guard.

Soran Malling is the understanding security officer....

....while Signe Egholm Olsen play the psychiatrist. 

Directed by the 67 year old composer and songwriter Soren Kragh-Jacobsen who was part of Dogme 95, an avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterburg amongst others. This is yet another movie that I can’t see for the life of me why it has not got a full UK cinema release? Without the recent DVD release by Arrow Films British audiences would be unable to see this and many other enjoyable Scandinavian movies which is a scandal considering all the second rate movies that fill our multiplex cinemas!

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[1] Glasgow Film Festival Programme 2014.

[2] Danish film Database.

Accused (Anklaget)

Both camera work and story are what you could describe as ‘tight focus’. Debut feature film director Jacob Thuesen wastes nothing in this powerful family drama. Its plot is quite a familiar news item these day’s, sexual abuse of the under aged. A teenage girl accuses her father of incest and the film deals mainly with the affects it has, not only on his life but how it affected his wife, friends and working environment. 

 

A happily married couple?

Married couple Henrik (Troels Lyby) and Nina (Sofie Grabol) would have a very happy relationship except for their 14-year-old daughter Stine (Kirstine Rosenkrands Mikkelsen) who is becoming more insular and has almost stopped talking to her them completely. She is receiving psychological treatment at school and she tells her psychologist that the reason for her behaviour is that her father has been sexually abusing her since she was eleven! The police arrest Henrik and put him in the isolation wing of the prison because of the expected treatment he will receive from the other prisoners. When he eventually appears before a judge he is found not guilty and released. Stine is sent away for further treatment. But the accusation will not go away.  His job as a swimming teacher is affected, his friends start to distance themselves and although Nina believes her husband how can she turn her back on her own daughter?

 

The accused.

This is an exceptionally thought provoking study of a taboo subject pretty much like another riveting Danish drama The Hunt (2012) and I for one cannot understand why Accused (2005) was never shown in the UK until Arrow Films released it on DVD in 2013. The story is made totally believable by some convincing acting from Troels Lyby as the father, an actor I am not familiar with, but his work certainly deserves more exposure in the UK. Two of the other actors in the film you will recognise immediately. Sofie Grabol, who played Sarah Lund in the BBC4 hit TV series The Killing between 2007 and 2012 is Nina a mother torn between her belief in her husband and her love for her damaged daughter, and the other is Soren Malling, a Danish TV star that you will know as Torben Frills in Borgan 2010-2013 and possible as Peter Ludvigson in A Hijacking (2012), as Henrik’s rather inept lawyer.

A dark intense film that underscores the ugly side of family life where you never quite know who is actually telling the truth and who is not? A movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.