This is a film that could be said trying to make us understand that we should not treat people with memory disorder (Alzheimer or dementia of any kind), as being 'Gone With The Wind' mentally but in fact having other gifts even when it comes to their memory. Even a demented can be right, a truism needed being repeated.
Conrad Lang (Gérard Depardieu) superficially seems to 'parasitize' on the rich family Senn, first as a childhood pal to Thomas (Niels Arestrup) the father in the family, later as their housekeeper and 'factotum'. On the same time the family use his kindness in order to take advantage of him, not least as he seems to be content with very little.
Conrad's health and mental status is gradually degrading but when meeting Simone (Alexandra Maria Lara), the young woman who is going to marry the son in the family, a friendship develops between the two.
During this friendship old memories pop up in the mind of Conrad, disturbing the 'official story' around him and the Senn family, making Simone wanting to dig deeper into the secrets of the family and Conrads role in all this.
What she finds is very ugly and the up on the top-beginning of the film, quickly dips into the hidden cruelties around the dirty 'backdrop' behind the beautiful facade.
The story is however told in a very untroubled way, not making it into the disturbing - and more interesting - film experiences of, let's say 'Festen' by Vinterberg.
The acting is superb and not least Gérard Depardieu who with a lot of warmth and compassion portrays the, almost, 'legally incompetent' Conrad, a man to nice for this world.
Conrad Lang (Gérard Depardieu) superficially seems to 'parasitize' on the rich family Senn, first as a childhood pal to Thomas (Niels Arestrup) the father in the family, later as their housekeeper and 'factotum'. On the same time the family use his kindness in order to take advantage of him, not least as he seems to be content with very little.
Conrad's health and mental status is gradually degrading but when meeting Simone (Alexandra Maria Lara), the young woman who is going to marry the son in the family, a friendship develops between the two.
During this friendship old memories pop up in the mind of Conrad, disturbing the 'official story' around him and the Senn family, making Simone wanting to dig deeper into the secrets of the family and Conrads role in all this.
What she finds is very ugly and the up on the top-beginning of the film, quickly dips into the hidden cruelties around the dirty 'backdrop' behind the beautiful facade.
The story is however told in a very untroubled way, not making it into the disturbing - and more interesting - film experiences of, let's say 'Festen' by Vinterberg.
The acting is superb and not least Gérard Depardieu who with a lot of warmth and compassion portrays the, almost, 'legally incompetent' Conrad, a man to nice for this world.
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