Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

Executscan Expected more

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

movies-by-db This is wonderful modern film noir and somewhat of a rarity in Scandinavian cinema. Don't get me wrong, I love Scandinavian movies and believe they form an important part of European film making. But I particularly like it because of it's sober style and realistic topic's. This however is a different animal. A case of (mis)taken identity that turns into a delirious nightmare which masterfully unfolds in the shape of flashbacks and recovering memory loss. Lot's of style, beautiful lighting and cinematography.Once again, flawless acting from the whole cast. A very intense role from Danish favorite Nicolaj Lie Kaas, perfectly countered by everyday man Jonas played by Anders W. Berthelsen.I will not reveal the storyline as with all noirs it should be experienced and revealed as the beautiful puzzle it is. Only other film that comes to mind is "Vanilla Sky" which is of course a complete remake of the superior "Abre Los Ojos". And I'm actually amazed this hasn't been remade. So before they do decide to do so, check it out and experience it yourself 8/10

aethomson "It seemed like a good idea at the time." I wish I had a dollar for every occasion when that thought has crossed someone's mind. But first some background. Is modern life in an affluent European country (with its taxpayer-funded health, education and welfare) rather too comfortable, rather too safe, rather too unchallenging, rather too dull, for some individuals? Our ancient ancestors developed genes for taking risks, sometimes awful risks, simply to survive. Julia Castlund, daughter of a wealthy publisher, ought to be able to settle down to a life of fulfilment and contentment in modern, enlightened Denmark - but no, she's a fidgety, rebellious risk-taker, with a history of perilously unsuitable boyfriends. The latest news her family has had from her is that she's roaming round the Far East - Cambodia or Vietnam or somewhere - and her current love interest is a Dane she's met out there called Sebastian (no details as to what he does for a living).Meanwhile, in the heavily mortgaged suburbs, Jonas lives in a comfortable home with his nice wife and two lovely children. He has a steady job (not very well paid) as a crime-scene photographer for the police. Jonas wouldn't do anything irrational or impulsive - would he? If there's one thing he's learned in this job, it's that horrific outcomes sometimes occur when people make impulsive choices, perhaps quite "trivial" choices. And one of the reasons why bodies end up on a slab in the morgue is "love gone wrong" - be warned. There's a sharp disconnect between Jonas's agreeable domestic life and the ghastly events he has to photograph: mutilated bodies, murdered children, etc.If Jonas is going to keep this family car, he really ought to spend some serious money on it - it's been giving a lot of trouble. On a busy road it conks out, and he can't get it started again. A preoccupied driver, going fairly fast, swerves to avoid this obstacle and collides with a vehicle coming the other way. The driver is Julia. What's she doing back in Denmark? Now she's in intensive care. Jonas feels responsible, guilty. He goes to the hospital, but he's not allowed to see her because he's not "family". She's in a coma, and several family members are gathered around her bed. Jonas has a bright idea. He gains entry to the room by pretending to be Sebastian (it seems like a good plan at the time). The family are delighted to see him - partly because he looks like a normal sort of guy, and not one of the weirdos that Julia usually dates. "Talk to her, Sebastian. See if you can get her to wake up." And she does wake up, sort of, with amnesia and seriously impaired eyesight, her face hacked about by broken glass, and with tubes stuck in her orifices. And Jonas falls in love...He does what? You make one silly little "mistake", and your whole life has to spin out of control? Apparently so. Jonas obtains this suitcase that Julia had in her car. A police colleague tells him about an Interpol notification: it looks like Sebastian was shot and killed in Hanoi - but why? Some bad guys were after him? The title "Just Another Love Story" is ironic. It's more than a love story, it's more than one love story, and at least one of its love stories is decidedly unusual. On the other side of the coinage of love is death, nightmare, a journey to the underworld, a ride to that slab in the morgue. It's not clear that anything is going to be inevitable - until it happens. And then you can see the inevitability. For the alert viewer, there are some nice "Now I understand" moments, and some nice "Ah, that's what must have happened" moments (you may have the opportunity to see this movie twice). All this and more - much more. Altogether, a thoroughly satisfying film.

CountZero313 Bornedal fashions a satisfying and stylishly shot thriller-romance out of material both familiar and unlikely.When forensic photographer Jonas is involved in a car-crash he meets badly injured Julia, and falls for her instantly. In a scene that stretches credulity, Julia's family take him for Sebastian, Julia's lover met on a tour of Southeast Asia. Jonas plays along, and the drama is stretched when Julia awakes from her coma conveniently blind and afflicted with amnesia. Julia, the impressive Rebecka Hemse, starts to remember a less-than-rosy side to the affair with Sebastian...The strengths of the film are the acting by the main players and the all-too-human interaction between them. When Jonas confesses to his friend that he has fallen for Julia, his friend, in a quite startling moment, asks if he can have Jonas' wife. When Sebastian does finally show up, a quite chilling dinner scene enfolds.The thriller elements are where the film is weakest, with far too many of the plot devices forced through. Sebastian (Nikolaj Lie Kaas clearly channeling Billy Zane in Dead Calm) stalks the hospital in a wheelchair and bandages, looking like an extra from The Mummy. The disguise is elaborate to say the least, considering the people he is hiding from do not know what he looks like. At a quite crucial moment when Sebastian is at his most threatening, Anders inexplicably opts to go for a drive, leaving Julia alone with her own personal monster. It is a clunky set up for Anders to make a horrific discovery in the boot of the car, and Sebastian to begin the final phase of his plan for Julia.But while the thriller element is less than convincing, there is a wonderfully observed nuanced romance here. Not Anders and Julia, but Anders and his wife Mette. Charlotte Fich is superb as the discarded spouse. The moment when Anders comes clean, during a supermarket excursion, is a delicious mix of comedy and tragedy. The film's over-elaborate opening set-up is some what ameliorated by ending on the failed marriage storyline. Anders strays, Anders comes home, Anders gets his comeuppance. That simple thread alone makes this film worth watching.

kerstinklein Actually I can't agree with the rather negative user comment. I saw the movie just last week at the Fantasy Filmfest in Munich, Germany. In my opinion the movie was one of the surprising highlights at the Fantasy Filmfest. I was pleasantly surprised after watching many of the other movies at the festival. Different from many of the other films which were just splatter and blood everywhere, this movie actually had a good story, surprising twists and good actors. I liked how the actor showed the feelings of many people: not wanting to be normal and having some more exciting things happening in his life. He actually had a good life with a wife, kids, nice flat, but something was just missing. I think a lot of people feel like this. And best of all: The ending is great!