En kort en lang (2001)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Hella Joof

Writers:

Hella Joof (screenplay) &
Klaus Bondam (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 November 2001 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Plot:

Jacob is a young man used to getting everything he wants. For several years, he has been living in a happy homosexual partnership with Jørgen...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Marriage | Gay Teenager | Gender | Bisexual Male

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Mads Mikkelsen	...	Jacob
Troels Lyby	...	Jørgen
Charlotte Munck	...	Caroline
Jesper Lohmann	...	Tom
Oskar Walsøe	...	Oskar
Peter Frödin	...	Frederik
Nikolaj Steen	...	Mads
Ditte Gråbøl	...	Inge
Morten Kirkskov	...	Adrian
Henning Jensen	...	Palle
Pernille Højmark	...	Ellen
Ellen Hillingsø	...	Anne
Ghita Nørby	...	Bine
Thomas Winding	...	Hans Henrik
Klaus Bondam	...	Præsten

Also Known As:

Shake It (International: English title)
Shake It All About (International: English title)
Shake Your Heart

Runtime:

98 min | Japan:100 min

Country:

Denmark | Germany

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Denmark:7 | Finland:K-7 | Norway:11

Filming Locations:

Birkerød Kirke, Birkerød, Sjælland, Denmark

Company:

Angel Films

Trivia:

The person Sørmand who Frederik talks about all the time is finally revealed in the photos during the end credits. It turns out to be the real-life TV host Søren Kaster who among other things was the first host of the Danish version of "Jeopardy!".

Movie Connections:

References Festen (1998)

Soundtrack:

A to B

Good try, but rather unfunny

The premise is good, the actors excellent and the music score well chosen. It is a really hard try to achieve something really sympathetic. So why does it fail on most levels? The main blame must lie with the script. First, it is not funny! And with a romantic comedy that must be close to a deadly sin. There are a few chuckles, but otherwise nothing. Secondly, the characters are rather badly drawn. I have no doubt that they are meant to be extremely interesting, but their behaviour are absurd most of the time because we never really get to know them properly. We are thrown into the plot head first without any background to who they are and what makes them tick. Like a previous reviewer wrote, this film is filled with supporting characters, including the main protagonists! The female doctor is the only REAL person who manages to make a REAL impression, but she only has about a minute of screen time. As to the actors, they really try, but I am not convinced that they agree which kind of movie they are in. Charlotte Munch seems to think this is some kind of serious relationship drama and responds accordingly, looking troubled in almost every scene. Mikkelsen and Lyby have no chemistry whatsoever together and one wonders what they saw in each other in the first place. The usually excellent Mikkelsen seems unhappy about the whole thing and manages to look bored with BOTH his man and his woman. Lyby is the one actor who comes off the best. He is the most sympathetic in this "comedy" and responds to his plight with some kind of normal reaction. He is sweet guy with a whole lot of emotions and also some sense of humour who really deserves someone better and more focused than the guy Mikkelsen portrays. Other than that we get a gallery of more or less eccentric people who bend over backwards to get a laugh from the audience, but fail at every turn. And then there is the ending!!!! Pleeeease, take it away!! I suppose it's meant to be heartwarming but it only comes across as phony and ridiculous. But it is not hard going despite all my reservations. You can watch it if there is nothing else to do, it will cause you no pain...but nor will it stay in the memory for longer than one minute or so! Loved the score though...