Bleeder

As much as I enjoyed the super-hyped Dogma movies 'Festen', and 'Mifune', going by 'Bleeder' the real Danish director to watch is Nicolas Refn. He's an exciting talent, and will probably give Lars Von Trier a run for his money in a few films time. 'Bleeder' features a superb performance from Kim Bodnia ('Nattevagten'). He plays Leo, a guy who on the surface seems pretty normal, but who begins to crack up after his girlfriend Louise (Rikke Louise Andersson) unexpectedly announces her pregnancy, and he witnesses a shooting. This begins a descent into a living hell. The movie's bleak and depressing world view is balanced by the bittersweet sub-plot concerning video nerd Lenny (Mads Mikkelsen), and his attempt to "get a life". The scenes showing Lenny working in a to-die-for video store will make most film buffs drool! Lenny rattles off the stores inventory in a funny scene, and the movie is full of film talk from Lindsay Anderson to Fred Williamson, and even includes clips from William Lustig's exploitation classics 'Maniac' and 'Vigilante'. Refn definitely knows his stuff! 'Bleeder' is a powerful and unforgettable movie comparable to the films of Gaspar Noe ('I Stand Alone', 'Irreversible') and Gary Oldman's 'Nil by Mouth'. Depressing yes, but highly recommended viewing.