A Soap (2006)

A tragicomedy focused on the relationship between the owner of a beauty clinic and a transgender woman.

Director:

Pernille Fischer Christensen

Writers:

Kim Fupz Aakeson, Pernille Fischer Christensen

Stars:

Trine Dyrholm, David Dencik, Frank Thiel

11 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Trine Dyrholm	...	Charlotte
David Dencik	...	Veronica
Frank Thiel	...	Kristian
Elsebeth Steentoft	...	Veronicas mor
Christian Tafdrup	...	Kunde 1
Pauli Ryberg	...	Kunde 2
Jacob Lohmann	...	Mand 1
Claes Bang	...	Mand 2
Fine	...	Miss Daisy
Christian Mosbæk	...	Fortæller (voice)
Laura Kamis Wrang	...	Soap skuespiller (voice)
Joan Bentsen	...	Soap skuespiller (voice)
Camilla Søeberg	...	Soap skuespiller (voice)
Tom Hale	...	Soap skuespiller (voice)

Storyline

32 year old Charlotte (Trine Dyrholm) could have it all, but she doesn't want it. After moving out of her boyfriend's apartment, she becomes the upstairs neighbor of Veronica (David Dencik), who is in the process of transitioning from male to female.

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Plot Keywords:

male to female | suicide attempt | male actor playing a female character | transgendered | transsexual | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes life is stranger than a 'SOAP'

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Feature film directorial debut for Pernille Fischer Christensen.

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Connections

References Lady and the Tramp (1955)

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Soundtracks

Cripple and Starfish
Written by Anohni (as Antony)
Performed by Antony and the Johnsons (2000)

User Reviews

convincing towards the end

The film starts with Carolina, hectic owner of a beauty parlor having just moved out from boyfriend Kristian, into the apartment over Veronika. Veronika drags along watching soaps, occasionally fulfilling wishes of sex clients, and desperately awaiting her operation transforming her into the woman she wants to be. After yet another confrontation with her well meaning mother Veronika attempts suicide. Carolina above wakes up, finds her, gets her to hospital and takes Veronika's dog, miss Daisy into her care. After Veronika returns, the neighbours find an interest for each other, in the turmoil of their search for affection with others. During a wild party à deux they even come to feel more, for which however there seems to be no room.

At the beginning the film made me fear I'd come to watch a trendy and fatiguing freak show frenzy, but hanging on it got me more and more interested in the slowly developing strand of tenderness in the middle of these rather chaotic scenes.

With the pink borders of kitsch the film owns to its title (the cliffhanger like voice-over asking the viewer what may come next, the zooming in on the blossoms outside the apartment block where it all takes place) the film convinced me eventually with its moving depiction of the ensuing blossoming of feelings between the main characters. All of this filmed with Dogma-inspired directness, closeness en nervousness, which I don't mind at all.

Details

Official Sites:

Official distributor's page for the film. [Denmark] Official distributor's page for the film. [United States]

Country:

Denmark Sweden

Language:

Danish English

Release Date:

7 April 2006 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

A Soap

Filming Locations:

Denmark

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,445, 5 November 2006

Gross USA:

$4,164

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$192,030

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nimbus Film Productions, Garagefilm International, New Danish Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White (flashback scenes) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1