This film could be said being made according to the Dogme 95 concept but on the same time there are those discussing whether or not this is correct as it uses background music. The music was though performed in 'real time' during the shooting, a detail that could 'defend' the idea that the film was made according to the above concept.
This would in that case be related to the 'second law' of 'the Dogme':
"The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic."
On the other hand, the films made by von Trier, Vinterberg and the other directors indirectly knit to this 'movement' has also been questioned concerning whether or not they follow the ideas of these 'commandments'.
The story in this film circles around two couples and their unintentionally intertwined lives.
Cæcilie (Sonja Richter) and Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is a young couple planning to tie their lives formally together, being happy and carefree. Niels (Mads Mikkelsen) and Marie (Paprika Steen) are since long married having three children (two sons and a daughter) and living the rather stable 'life of routines'.
One ill-fated day Marie hits Joachim with her car when she drives past his at the moment when he opens the door.
Joachim is paralyzed and from now on life is turned upside down for both couples, facing the test whether or not one are able to love another person "for better and for worse"!
Niels is working as a doctor at the hospital where Joachim is being treated and more and more he becomes involved in their lives, first because of guilt, due to the fact that his wife in a way has caused Joachim's accident but gradually out of interest for Cæcilie.
Joachim is going through the denial- and self-destructive phase leading to that he becomes very aggressive towards Cæcilie, who at first tries to comfort and reassure him that they will go on living together and that she will do everything in her power to help him. Initially this is true but gradually her and Niels's hormons and the fact that she's more or less shut out of Joachim's life, combined with the fact that Niels is somewhat bored with his family life, leads them both closer together.
In all this Marie seems to be totally unaware of the feelings between the two but when Niels answers the telephone calls from Cæcilie in the middle of the night, leaving home in order to meet the latter "at the hospital", she starts to realize what is happening, something their teenage daughter since long has understood.
The story evolves back and forth between the four adults and Niels and Marie's three children and everyone is affected by what has happened, making one domino - the accident - leading the others to fall (or rise?).
Even if Marie has caused another persons disaster by in fact having driven to fast and not paying attention and Joachim is acting like an asshole, my symphaty lies with them.
Off course we can understand that two persons - living in more or less stable relationships - can fall in love with each other, but the way both Cæcilie and not least Niels are handling the situation, makes me despise them.
The most despicable one is in my view Niels as he in fact not only is a husband with a - likely - faithful wife but also a father letting his personal horniness become more important than the fact that he's hurting his children badly. Not only the two younger sons but also the adolescent girl.
This piece of cinematic journey takes us through a multitude of feelings and ethical questions aboth faith, loyalty, responsibility, love and despise. In the latter case I'm not talking about the self-contempt (and to a certain degree self pitty) displayed by Joachim but the - as I wrote before - despicable behaviour displayed by Niels and Cæcilie. The title 'Despicable Me' wasn't taken at the time but could have functioned as a subtitle.
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen.
This would in that case be related to the 'second law' of 'the Dogme':
"The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic."
On the other hand, the films made by von Trier, Vinterberg and the other directors indirectly knit to this 'movement' has also been questioned concerning whether or not they follow the ideas of these 'commandments'.
The story in this film circles around two couples and their unintentionally intertwined lives.
Cæcilie (Sonja Richter) and Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is a young couple planning to tie their lives formally together, being happy and carefree. Niels (Mads Mikkelsen) and Marie (Paprika Steen) are since long married having three children (two sons and a daughter) and living the rather stable 'life of routines'.
One ill-fated day Marie hits Joachim with her car when she drives past his at the moment when he opens the door.
Joachim is paralyzed and from now on life is turned upside down for both couples, facing the test whether or not one are able to love another person "for better and for worse"!
Niels is working as a doctor at the hospital where Joachim is being treated and more and more he becomes involved in their lives, first because of guilt, due to the fact that his wife in a way has caused Joachim's accident but gradually out of interest for Cæcilie.
Joachim is going through the denial- and self-destructive phase leading to that he becomes very aggressive towards Cæcilie, who at first tries to comfort and reassure him that they will go on living together and that she will do everything in her power to help him. Initially this is true but gradually her and Niels's hormons and the fact that she's more or less shut out of Joachim's life, combined with the fact that Niels is somewhat bored with his family life, leads them both closer together.
In all this Marie seems to be totally unaware of the feelings between the two but when Niels answers the telephone calls from Cæcilie in the middle of the night, leaving home in order to meet the latter "at the hospital", she starts to realize what is happening, something their teenage daughter since long has understood.
The story evolves back and forth between the four adults and Niels and Marie's three children and everyone is affected by what has happened, making one domino - the accident - leading the others to fall (or rise?).
Even if Marie has caused another persons disaster by in fact having driven to fast and not paying attention and Joachim is acting like an asshole, my symphaty lies with them.
Off course we can understand that two persons - living in more or less stable relationships - can fall in love with each other, but the way both Cæcilie and not least Niels are handling the situation, makes me despise them.
The most despicable one is in my view Niels as he in fact not only is a husband with a - likely - faithful wife but also a father letting his personal horniness become more important than the fact that he's hurting his children badly. Not only the two younger sons but also the adolescent girl.
This piece of cinematic journey takes us through a multitude of feelings and ethical questions aboth faith, loyalty, responsibility, love and despise. In the latter case I'm not talking about the self-contempt (and to a certain degree self pitty) displayed by Joachim but the - as I wrote before - despicable behaviour displayed by Niels and Cæcilie. The title 'Despicable Me' wasn't taken at the time but could have functioned as a subtitle.
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen.
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