In a Better World (2010) Hævnen (original title)

Director:

Susanne Bier

Writers:

Anders Thomas Jensen (screenplay)
Susanne Bier (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 2010 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

Plot Keywords:

Refugee Camp | Friendship | Boy | African | Death

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Mikael Persbrandt	...	Anton
Wil Johnson	...	Najeeb (as Will Johnson)
Eddy Kimani	...	Patient (as Eddie Kimani)
Emily Mulaya	...	Sygeplejerske
Gabriel Muli	...	Læge
June Waweru	...	Sygeplejerske
Mary Ndoku Mbai	...	Patient (as Mary Nduku Mbai)
Dynah Bereket	...	Gammel dame
William Jøhnk Nielsen	...	Christian (as William Jøhnk Juel Nielsen)
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Claus
Elsebeth Steentoft	...	Signe
Satu Helena Mikkelinen	...	Hanna
Camilla Gottlieb	...	Eva
Simon Maagaard Holm	...	Sofus
Emil Nicolai Helms	...	Sofus' skolekammerat
Martin Buch	...	Niels
Markus Rygaard	...	Elias
Trine Dyrholm	...	Marianne
Toke Lars Bjarke	...	Morten
Anette Støvelbæk	...	Hanne
Preben Harris	...	Patient på hospitalet
Birthe Neumann	...	Mariannes kollega
Paw Henriksen	...	Politibetjent
Jesper Lohmann	...	Politibetjent
Bodil Jørgensen	...	Rektor
Kim Bodnia	...	Lars
Lucas Oliver Nyman	...	Lars' søn (as Lucas O. Nyman)
Rikke Louise Andersson	...	Lars' kone (as Rikke Louise Anderson)
Lars Kaalund	...	Lars' kollega
Godfrey Ojiambo	...	Mand
Evans Muthini	...	Oversætter
Odiege Matthew	...	Big Man (as Ondiege Matthew)
Nancy Akoth	...	Kvinde
Camilla Bendix	...	Løber
Alberte Blichfeldt	...	Løberens datter
Stig Hoffmeyer	...	Læge
Peter Flyvholm	...	Sygeplejer
Lars Bom	...	Kriminalassistent
Tina Gylling Mortensen	...	Socialarbejder
Susanne Juhász	...	Sygeplejerske (as Susanne Juhasz)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Trice Angie Christiansen	...	Guest (uncredited)
Peter Frederiksen	...	Family Relative (uncredited)

Directed by
Susanne Bier

Writing credits
Anders Thomas Jensen		(screenplay)
Susanne Bier		(story) &
Anders Thomas Jensen		(story)
Per Nielsen		supervising writer

Produced by
Karen Bentzon	....	line producer
Tomas Eskilsson	....	co-producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen	....	executive producer
Sisse Graum Jørgensen	....	producer

Original Music by
Johan Söderqvist

Cinematography by
Morten Søborg

Film Editing by
Pernille Bech Christensen
Morten Egholm

Casting by
Lene Seested

Production Design by
Peter Grant

Set Decoration by
Lene Ejlersen
Mathias Holmgreen

Costume Design by
Manon Rasmussen

Makeup Department
Charlotte Laustsen	....	makeup artist
Daniel Parker	....	makeup artist
Daniel Parker	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Anne Katrine Andersen	....	post-production supervisor
Søren Frimodt-Møller	....	production supervisor
Ida Marie Harder Jeppesen	....	unit production manager
Ingrid Kofoed	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henrik Henziger	....	assistant director
Joakim Höglund	....	first assistant director
Ezekiel Onyango	....	first assistant director: second unit
Balder Skånstrøm-Bo	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Katharina Bormann	....	post sound facility coordinator
Torben Greve	....	foley artist
Allan Holmberg	....	sound recordist
Anne Jensen	....	sound editor
Lars Rasmussen	....	sound
Eddie Simonsen	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Søren Skov Haraldsted	....	special effects senior pyrotechnician
Hummer Høimark	....	special effects
Christian Kitter	....	special effects senior technician

Stunts
Hans Peter Ludvigsen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Per Arnesen	....	still photographer
Jens Bo Fraek	....	grip (as Jens Fraek Poulsen)
Jonas Madsen	....	electrician
Jacob Marlow	....	first assistant camera
Jacob Marlow	....	gaffer
Ivan Molina Carmona	....	electrician
Michael Tøt	....	dit assistant camera
Valdemar Cold Winge	....	assistant camera
Derek Gilbert Zacho	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Katharina Bormann	....	casting assistant
Aurélie Guichard	....	extras casting
Line Kromann	....	casting
Jette Termann	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Louize Nissen	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Anne Katrine Andersen	....	post-production coordinator
Gregers Dohn	....	trailer editor
Carla Luffe Heintzelmann	....	assistant editor
Peter Hjorth	....	colorist

Music Department
Patrik Andrén	....	rhythm arranger
Mikael Carlsson	....	soundtrack producer
Peter Fuchs	....	scoring mixer
Erik Guldager	....	music mixer
Uno Helmersson	....	assistant composer
Joakim Jennefors	....	vocalist

Transportation Department
Nelson Kibe	....	driver: Kenya

Other crew
Kenneth Berg	....	location manager
Camilla Brem	....	researcher
Susanne Falck	....	script supervisor
Robin Hollister	....	location manager: Kenya
Sidsel Hybschmann	....	assistant: producer
Louise Palmkvist	....	assistant: lineproducer
Line Plougsbæk	....	post production assistant
Katrin Pors	....	production coordinator: Kenya

Thanks
Jarl Friis-Mikkelsen	....	thanks
Mogens Hagedorn	....	thanks
Christina Rosendahl	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Danmarks Radio (DR)
• Det Danske Filminstitut
• Film Fyn
• Film i Väst (in co-production with)
• Memfis Film
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (supported by)
• Sveriges Television (SVT)
• Swedish Film Institute
• Trollhättan Film AB
• Zentropa International
• Zentropa Productions

Distributors

• First Distributors (2010) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• TrustNordisk (2010) (worldwide) (all media)
• Nordisk Film Distribution (2010) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2011) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Axiom Films (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Bio Rex Distribution (2010) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Longride (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Rialto Distribution (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Équation Distribution (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Axiom Films (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Kam & Ronson Enterprise Co (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• PepperView Entertainment (2011) (Portugal) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Twin Pics (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Dansk Speciel Effekt Service

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• MovieScore Media  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Hævnen" - Denmark (original title)
"Revenge" - Europe (English title) (alternative title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent and disturbing content some involving preteens, and for language

Runtime:

Denmark:119 min

Country:

Denmark | Sweden

Language:

Danish | Swedish | English | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Denmark:15 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA (2010) | USA:R (certificate #46570) | Finland:K-13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Japan:PG12 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Fåborg, Fyn, Denmark

Company:

Danmarks Radio (DR)

Trivia:

(at around 1h 27 mins) One of the medical staff mentions Elias is 12 years old. At around 13 mins, their teacher notes that Christian and Elias have the same birthday, so Christian is also 12 (the same age that William Jøhnk Nielsen was during "filming").

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Anton (Michael Persbrant) performs his first surgery he scratches his head/corrects the position of his mask after having put on sterile gloves (at around 42 mins) thereby contaminating them and risking that the patient gets infected. A real surgeon would never do this, and if she or he did, she or he would change gloves.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.11" (2011)

Where does it end?

After his mother's death, Christian moves once again, and starts in a new school. He meets Elias, and defends him against bullies. The latter's father works as a doctor in Africa, with a sadistic crime lord nearby. And so we have the setting for a drama exploring revenge, as well as power struggles, loss and fear. The overall moral isn't going to surprise anyone(and it isn't entirely consistent), and this does occasionally stoop to a cliché. However, it remains a gripping and effective film, and it manages to interject a lot of insight and truth, seeing situations from multiple different perspectives. This is the second movie by Bier that I watch, and I am confirmed in my assertion that Things We Lost in The Fire was a fluke, and not representative of her level of talent(it should be noted that the main problem with that one was the script, and she had nothing to do with that). She abandons the eyeball shots, and there is much rejoicing. The camera is close at times, though no longer oppressively so. This has a cinematography similar to the show NCIS, with hand-held cameras. I didn't feel like the nature footage added anything, at least not that of Denmark. The editing puts you right there, without being annoying or particularly drawing attention to itself. This is written by the man behind Den Du Frygter, Mørke and Blinkende Lygter(and other famous ones, but those are the ones I've seen and liked), and his skill and credible, human characters(that are the focus) shines through. Everything is set up, and most of it pays off. The acting is excellent, without exception, the kids especially. Our half-way orphaned lead captures every look and movement to perfection, and they really did find someone who could be Thomsen's son. Bodnia returns to a typecast role for him, and delivers. The vast majority of the humor works, and nearly none of it detracts from the serious and important subject. Everyone can recognize the little brother in someone they do or have known. The music is appropriate and not distracting. Dialog is great. No soap opera moments, it all comes across as entirely genuine, and nothing comes out of the blue. The tone is mature and honest; we don't feel preached to, or lectured, this respects its audience and honestly understands what it has to say, it isn't merely repeating a mantra. There is gore(think ER) and disturbing content in this. I recommend it to anyone that this at all appeals to. 8/10