Count Axel (2001)

"Count Axel" is a comedy that takes place somewhere in the nordic countries in 1783. It's a classic comedy about mixed identities, with strong elements of contemporary humour and satire. ... See full summary »

Director:

Søren Fauli

Writer:

Anders Thomas Jensen

Stars:

Peter Frödin, Sofie Gråbøl, Tomas Villum Jensen

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Frödin	...	Axel
Sofie Gråbøl	...	Leonora Amalie
Tomas Villum Jensen	...	Peter
Egon Holmquist	...	Erik
Thomas Bo Larsen	...	Niels
Sarah Gottlieb	...	Agnete
Katrine Jensenius	...	Else
Nicolaj Kopernikus	...	William
Lasse Lunderskov	...	Poul
Ole Thestrup	...	Ridefogeden
Jens Arentzen	...	Richard
Ole Ernst	...	Kroejer
Henning Jensen	...	Provsten
Jesper Christensen	...	Oberst Lejpstrup
Troels II Munk	...	Tyk Mand

Storyline

"Count Axel" is a comedy that takes place somewhere in the nordic countries in 1783. It's a classic comedy about mixed identities, with strong elements of contemporary humour and satire. One should conceive "Count Axel" as a scandinavian version of the humour that you will find in works like "Black Adder" and "Life of Brian". A humorous universe that takes off in the big classical epos of our past. It is our inheritance from the time of the feudal era, with evil rich lords; and god, pure pesants that is the set-up in "Count Axel". To take this genre of heavy historical films and twist it in to a crazy comedy with the respect of a strong storyline, that is the ambition of "Count Axel"

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Genres:

Comedy

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User Reviews

Hit-or-miss.

Søren Fauli´s foray into feature length film has been highly anticipated, following his successful short films since his debut in 1993 with cult favorite "De skrigende halse". Sadly, "Grev Axel" doesn´t quite live up to expectations. Set somewhere in the 18th century, con artist/actor Axel assumes the identity of Count Richard, who is about to marry spinster Leonora Amalie, who has been waiting his arrival for 15 years in a run-down manor. A wonderful performance by Frödin as the curiously anachronistic con man sadly fails to save the film, which despite a well-developed story line relies too heavy on fart jokes and endless mugging and screaming by its supporting characters, especially the peasants and the hot-headed rural dean (played by Henning Jensen, who replaced Henning Moritzen following an unfortunate accident on the initial days of shooting). Furthermore, when the real Count Richard (Jens Arentzen) appears, the film turns deadly serious and mean-spirited, clashing loudly with the tone of the film, which tries hard to be Monty Python, but ends up looking more like an episode of Benny Hill.

Details

Official Sites:

Cosmo Film

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Release Date:

6 April 2001 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Count Axel

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$348,792

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cosmo Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color