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Blinkende lygter (2000) More at IMDbPro »

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33 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
An original, fabulous genre hybrid, 15 May 2005

Author: fertilecelluloid from Mountains of Madness

Quite exceptional Danish genre hybrid from director Anders Thomas Jensen. It has a maturity and confidence about it that is rare and surreal comedic aspects that reminded me of the wonderful ANTONIA'S LINE.

Four emotionally unstable criminals, led by Torkild, commit a robbery to repay a large debt to The Eskimo, a violent, murderous thug. Instead of delivering the loot, the men flee to the countryside where they begin a new life.

A threadbare synopsis does no justice to this wonderfully rich and magical film which expertly blends brutal violence, the blackest of humour and Roald Dahl-style childhood flashbacks to tell a fascinating, highly original story.

The characterizations are brilliant and the producers deserve a medal for having the courage to attempt a piece so violent (at times) and so utterly human.

Although all performances are wonderful, a special mention must go to Ole Thestrup who plays local game hunter Alfred. His reaction to an offer of firearms in exchange for the life of his cow is priceless.

An absolute winner and a perceptive reflection on happiness, love, friendship and identity.

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25 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best films I've seen, 9 August 2005

Author: alpalmer from Canada

I purchased this film on DVD, with little knowledge of what it was about, because of a liking for the actors Søren Pilmark and Mads Mikkelsen. I'd seen Pilmark in "Riget" and Mikkelsen in "King Arthur", so I thought this would be worth buying.

The only complaint I have about the North American DVD version is that the subtitles are not always very good. I appreciate that the translator was likely trying to make some references so the non-Danish audience could understand it, but please do not reference Six Flags, Disneyland or "too many Canucks" when neither are mentioned. (Unfortunately I don't know enough Danish to figure out what they're really saying, but I certainly didn't hear Disneyland, Six Flags, or Canucks in that!) I found the story engaging, and not at all slow. It seemed to start off as a gangster film, and while I like some gangster films, I was glad that this one took a different twist.

I am impressed with the director/writer, and all the actors. This film was excellent, and I'd highly recommend it to all!

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20 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
original, philosophical and funny, 1 November 2000

Author: kaaber-2 from Copenhagen, Denmark

"Blinkende Lygter" ('blinking lights') is extremely original in its odyssey through several genres; starting off as a gangster movie, passing close by a road movie (until the car breaks down), and then completely shifting pace and content in a very surprising and humorous way. Although criticized for its violent scenes, BL is actually a highly philosophical study of the various faces of violence, from the off-hand unnecessary (although not gratuitous) violence, to acts of violence accepted by society. First of all, the dialogue is so funny that the movie has to be seen at least twice if one is to catch the very serious message that lies beyond. One of the best Danish films ever. Anders Thomas Jensen is definitely a filmmaker to look out for.

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14 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Subtitles, 19 August 2006

Author: jo-wiltshire from United Kingdom

I love this film, but I agree that the American subtitles are dreadful. I can understand a bit of Danish and I was watching it with a Danish speaker, so that helped, but actually the timing of the subtitles ruined half the jokes entirely. And if you're not American or Danish then the cultural references in the subtitles are completely baffling.

For reference: -"Disney Land" is used to translate "Tivoli", a very old and beautiful theme park in central Copenhagen. -"Six flags" is used to translate "Bakken", another old, but more down market theme park just outside Copenhagen. -"Canucks" is apparently a derogatory term for Canadians. It is used here to translate "Svenskere" (Swedes). -"Newport", apparently a port town in Rhode Island, is used to translate "Fredericia", another port town, but in eastern Jylland (Jutland).

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15 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Full with attitude, 6 February 2003

Author: roeklund from Finland

When I watched this film the first time, I didn't even know which movie I was watching. But it took me 15 min of watching to realize what a great movie it is. You can find anything in the movie Comedy, Drama, Romance, Action and it's a good mixture of it too.

Even though I didn't understand everything what they said in the movie I still think the actors were great. But you have to be a special type of person to like this movie, that's why it only has the grade 7,5/10

I would still give this movie 9/10 because I think it's an brilliant movie.

"Jordkyld öl"

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12 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining and brilliant., 12 April 2004

Author: ks4 from EU

This movie is one of those that will always be remembered in danish film history, it's a unique product written by the single most talented manuscript writer in Denmark, he simply appears to be writing by far the larger part of the succesfull movies the later years, and this is no difference, he even instructed it also, and it is both, original, funny, thoughtfull and just generally entertaining.

Thorkild, Arne, Peter and and Stefan are 4 smalltime criminals that has known each other their entire adult life, they all have a troubled past behind them, but as Thorkild turns 40 they are into serious problems with the local gangster, they are forced to do a larger job for this gangster to pay debts, and finds a suitcase containing 4million danish Kr. After some discussion they decide to run off to Barcelona with the money, but underway their car breaks down and they get stuck in a house, which was a former resteraunt, here their reconstruction begins.

Flickering Lights, or Blinkende Lygter as i know it as, is simply a great and unique movie, it is however part of the revolutional movies that are coming from everywhere these days in Denmark, mainly written by Anders Thomas Jensen, this is similar to movies like "I Kina Spiser De Hunde", the language in the movie roughly takes advantage of the small slang words and funny things we use, it's very realistic rather than the normalized boring movie language that sometime appears, it's a fresh breath. The movie itself is very unique and has some moments that will never be forgotten, some very funny moments, and i'm sure everyone that has seen the movie will never forget the scene where Thorkilds is blowing eggs.

The directing of this movie is rather strong, although rather anonymous, there aren't many scenes where it really shines through, but it works pretty well all the way through, although there is some alternative camera work with the flashback scene, but the strength of the movie doesn't lie in the directing, on another note it doesn't bring it down either.

The acting in this movie is simply, just amazingly brilliant, especially Mads Mikkelsen shines through as the numb shooting freak, Arne, that is one amazing performance never to be forgotten, and he also makes for some memorable scenes, for example when he shoots a cow, Denmark will never forget that scene. But also the other 3 main roles are fantastic, the acting is very proffesional and it feels like the actors very easily connects with their character, which makes for a very belivable film and avoids awkward moments due to awkward acting, simply, just great.

However as usual i can put when Anders Thomas Jensen have written the movie i can put a finger down and say, this is the movies strength, becuase his manuscripts are just so damn good, and i love his excellent raw use of the danish language, that is what he does so damn great, and he's been doing it great a lot of times now.

This movie has its smaller flaws that keeps it from being a superb masterpiece, but it's still a fantastic piece of movie and now i wonder why i didn't give it a higher vote, however i think the movie somewhere has small flaws that keeps it down a little, but strange enough i don't really know which, maybe i need to watch it again, however i give my vote with an arrow up.

8/10

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11 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Much better the second time., 28 April 2001

Author: Henrik from Copenhagen, Denmark

As I saw this movie, in cinema, I though it was funny, but in no way a match for "I Kina Spiser De Hunde" (1999). However, after re-watching in now, on DVD, I can say that I think much higher of it. Plenty of cool one-liners. An absurd, but still nice story-line. In fact, it was the absurdness that was the real humor of the flick. Immoral and violent? Definately, but that also makes it allot funnier. I had to give it 9/10, because it is definately worth several re-watchings. Fun for most of the family.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
So Funny!, 29 April 2005

Author: damestjernelys from DK

From the first few minutes, up until the end of the film, I was laughing... hard. The characters are definitely amusing (though a bit off), and all of the hang-ups they face along the way just add to the humour. Yes, there are parts of the film which can be quite sad, especially if one can relate in any way to them, but by and large, this is a very funny film that is definitely worth the DVD rental. The violence is comical, the struggles are comical, even the arguments are comical. They really did a good job with the casting and the writer did an excellent job with the script. I am usually not a fan of Danish films (even though I live in Denmark), but this film is the exception. It's a definite must see, no matter where in the world one happens to live.

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7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Hollywood - Go Home!!!, 22 April 2001

Author: Leif Kjær Nielsen from Denmark

This is one of the funniest movies I have seen for a long time - and yet with a depth you would not expect from a movie like this. This bunch of criminal outcast with personal problems and skeletons in their childhood cupboards manage to form a true friendship and community far from the environment they are used to.

The movie is stacked with strong action and actors: Pilmark is over the top as raw, but yet soft gangleader, Mikkelsen as psycho-gunman, Thomsen as TV-drama-loving drug-addict and Lie-Kaas as the eternal snack-eating soft guy. Even the supporting cast does a good job - just to mention Thestrup as the weapon-crazy farmer and Helmuth as movie history's greatest alcoholic doctor - and do not forget Graaboel as Lie-Kaas annoying and "normal" girlfriend.

Funniest scene: shooting cows in the forest - my God, I was rolling on the floor of laughter.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Alternative draft of "I Kina Spiser De Hunde", 13 April 2006

Author: gut-6 from Brisbane, Australia

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I enjoyed this movie, like I enjoyed everything I've seen by Anders Thomas Jensen. The comments here suggest that Danes are somewhat deprecatory about the general quality of Danish films, but most of the Danish films with international distribution in recent years have been truly outstanding. Maybe it's because we who live outside Denmark don't get to see the awful Danish films. However I have also seen much of the recent cinematic output of Sweden and Germany, and even the internationally released stuff is mostly crap.

In any case, "Flickering Lights" is another outstanding Jensen film, but very derivative of the previous year's "I Kina Spiser De Hunde". Again you have the post-Tarantino world of four ultraviolent but quirky and amusing gangsters. As in "I Kina", again you have the sentimental gangsters trying to turn a new leaf and do good deeds. Again they are thwarted by their psychosis, incompetence, and by the fact that they have double-crossed another bunch of even more vicious gangsters. Again the gangsters work as cooks. Again their sentimentality causes them to dissipate their earnings from a robbery. Again the film closes with a bloody shootout in a bar. Again there is a quasi-sentimental ending undermined by hilariously vicious irony.

Despite the similarities of scenario, there is no repetition of dialogue from the earlier film. Jensen is again very funny and original with his dialogue and details. This film, though, seems more parochial in its references, and there seems more that non-Danes would have trouble understanding. Still, it's well worth checking this one out. It's head and shoulders above the other rubbish out there.

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