Gråvejr (2001) User Reviews

Interesting Short Film

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 5 May 2005]

I'm not much of an expert of short films and I'm even less of an expert on Danish humour or indeed even if Danes have a sense of humour ( It's geographically close to Germany ) but GRAVEJR known in English as ANOTHER BLUE DAY is typical of a lot of short films . It has a small cast ( Two speaking parts ) and an offbeat premise . Two people who have never met one another come across each other as they attempt to commit suicide by jumping from a bridge , so right away some suspension * of disbelief is needed . I mean what's the chances of that happening ? It's also unlikely either of them would choose a bridge where a car passes an average of once every 14 minutes but are either of them serious in their intent to kill themselves ? One thing I did notice about this short was its quality of music , in other short movies the music is closer to muzak or sound effects but the music heard here is genuinely cinematic

* I wonder if this means it's a suspension bridge ?

Good if not great

[bob the moo · 20 September 2002]

A man stands on a bridge with a noose around his neck, waiting to thrown himself down to be killed. While waiting he is joined on the ledge by a girl preparing to throw herself off. Put off by her presence he stops her killing herself. While they wait for another car to throw themselves in front of, they talk and find out why each has come to this point.

With a slightly dark comic tone this short sets out to go exactly where we hoped it wouldn't. But that doesn't stop the journey being good anyway. The plot sees the two leads coming together and disliking each other. The man's initial dislike of the woman comes from her ability to just go for it and jump, while he stutters on the ledge - secretly longing for someone to pull him back. He then starts to talk to her and keep her alive as a means of keeping himself from having to confront his suicide.

She meanwhile dislikes him as he stops her killing herself but then respects him for trying to bring her out of her misery, despite being a weirdo. The dislike at the core of their dialogue is well brought out - but makes the slightly corny ending even more disappointing. The situations are at once tragic and comic and are well done, but surely this short could have had the balls to go for more of a punch. It didn't have a `message' anyway so it should have gone for power instead - but it goes for neither.

The cast (both of them) are quite good, the man has the best role as his character is a loser but still manages to be likeable. The woman is less sympathetic as she mopes after a man who dumped her. But both do well with the relationship until it takes an unlikely and predictable turn at the end.

Overall this is let down by it's lack of destination - it goes where you expect it to go. But the writing is OK and the performances are amusing. A vein of black humour helps and makes this worth watching once.