En chance til (2014) Reviews

• Powerful drama

  reev02014-10-15

  To say much about the plot of Suzanne Bier's film about parenthood would be to risk depriving it of its power - the less you know going in, the better. The film is a succession of well-timed punches to the gut, and the cast is good enough to make the characters' difficult choices understandable. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau carries a lot of the weight of the film, but he's well-supported - May Andersen is impressive as Sanne in her first acting role, and Bier's previous collaborator Nikolaj Lie Kaas does well to avoid making his character a one-dimensional. Not an easy watch by any means, and not an entertainment, but a very well-made and powerful social drama.

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• A Powerful and Heartbreaking Drama with a Moral Issue

  claudio_carvalho2016-08-19

  The police detective Andreas (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau) is a family man married with the unstable Anna Thomsen (Maria Bonnevie) and they have a seven-week son called Alexander. Andreas' partner and best friend is detective Simon (Ulrich Thomsen), whose wife has left him with their son to live with a teacher of swimming classes. Simon misses his family and particularly his son. When they are called to investigate an argument of a couple in a residential building, they meet the well known drug dealer Tristan (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and his wife Sanne (May Andersen) in the apartment. Andreas notes that Sanne is hiding something in a wardrobe, and when he opens it, he finds their seven-week son Sofus dirty and hungry. Andreas calls the Social Service and after the exams, they realize that the baby is healthy; therefore they can not retain the child. During the night, Andreas wakes-up with Anna crying and he finds that Alexander is dead. He wants to call an ambulance, but Anna tells that she would commit suicide and Andreas decides to swap his son per Sofus. He breaks in Tristan's apartment and swaps the babies while his parents are sleeping completely stoned. When Tristan finds the dead baby, Sanne tells that he is not her son. But Tristan buries the baby in the woods and simulates that he was abducted in a playground. Tristan and Sanne are arrested and Andreas and Simon are responsible for interrogate them. Meanwhile, Anna jumps from a bridge into a river and commits suicide. When Andreas finds the corpse of Alexander, there is an autopsy and the doctor shows the result to Andreas that is deeply affected. What could be the findings? "En chance til", a.k.a. "Second Chance", is a powerful and heartbreaking drama with a moral issue in another great film directed by Susanne Bier. The performances are top-notch and the film raises at least one point to think about. The main question is how far a father would go to protect his wife from a tragedy. The road to hell is paved of good intentions, and Andreas's intention is certainly the best for a desperate family man. But in the end, when he discovers what Anna has done to their son, reason returns to him. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Segunda Chance" ("Second Chance")

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• Dark Danish Morality Tale

  t-dooley-69-3869162015-08-15

  This is one of those films that is very hard to give a synopsis about without doing a major plot reveal. Suffice to say it is about the choices we can make when faced with the 'unthinkable'. It is about how we are able to not only blur the line between right and wrong but also move it completely whilst still, self deceivingly, believing that you are still the good guy. It is about a married couple Anna and her policeman husband Andreas and how they deal with their own tragedy. This is from director Susanne Bier who brought us 'In a Better World' and 'After the wedding'. She has a keen eye for direction and uses dramatic timing to ramp up the tension but also perfectly timed plot reveals – and there are a fair few here. It is superbly acted with a striking performance from Maria Bonnevie as the new mum and wife. This is a film that trades on the reveals and twists and as such may not be one to see over again; but it is still powerful enough to recommend and indeed warrant at least one good viewing.

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• Goosebumps all over

  Bantam2015-08-13

  If you've seen Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau in Game of Thrones you haven't seen anything. As an actor this guy is, IMO, totally underrated. Also, Nikolaj Lie Kaas does a superb job. The movie centers around two guys (played by the both before mentioned actors), both fathers of new-borns. One is a cop, the other a junkie. I will not go into the details of the story, otherwise it might ruin the fun. But it revolves around those two toddlers, Alexander and Sofus. The story has some devious twists and turns and the conclusions is rather disturbing. However, the acting is, across the board, neigh perfect. The emotions and the desperation flow freely. I was rather impressed. I highly recommend a subbed version, since in this case a dubbing will ruin a lot. I tired it, but I liked the subbed version much more. It is rather astonishing how the Scandinavian movie makers manage to forge such good movies, while others (I am not looking at anyone ;) ) just manage to produce part IV of the same stuff, being afraid of anything slightly new. Let's do another romantic comedy, why don't you? Tired of SFX powered no-story junk? The next installment of a funny romance that has nothing to do with reality? Don't wanna see another superhero beating up hapless citizens?If you at least said one "yes", go watch this - NOW!

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• A film with really good acting

  dakjets2015-07-25

  I think one of the main reasons this film really works is the strong performances from Nicolai Coaster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen and Maria Bonnevie. Nicolay Coaster-Waldau plays a husband and a father, Bonnivie his wife. The film give an example of how a "perfect life", suddenly can turn into a living nightmare. And how the wrong choices can be devastating for everyone involved. The couple really pull it off in this film. Without their strong presence and convincing characters, the film would not been as good as it actually is. They make it a strong and powerful drama. Othervise the story in the film is very simple, and I must admit, not the strongest and most interesting. It is too straight forward, with few surprises. But the actors make it worth Your while to watch it, and they manage to lift this drama. (Sorry about my English)

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