This is a story of a hero.
It is the story of the child-like "P" or Achmed, as his name quite surprisingly gets to be. It is a tale of how his refreshing wiev on life today touches - yes, that is the real Oprah word - the lives of various people. May it be the struggling career couple of Valther and Charlotte, the poor and alone and somehow deranged mr. Stromboli, the young-at-heart Tanja who has a crush on him etc. With his naïvety and stubborn believing in man's good side, he has a tremendous impact on his surroundings. It is as the crystal clear voices of a boy choir leads him wherever he goes. And in the end we are all better people, now when true love and trust has touched us deeply and moved us.
In the beginning and in the end this Dogme film is rather annoying. But in between there are some quite nice scenes, who with humour, wit and poetry describes the amusing struggles for "P" to become a real human being. Especially his escapades at the refugee center or the initial scenes with Valther and mr. Stromboli has a great blend of sadness and fun. In the end, however, as the lesson comes to an end, the film underlines the importance of the values "P" brought us. And that is perhaps a bit over the top.
Nikolaj Lie Kaas portraits "P" like his character in the second Dogme film "Idioterne". If you still aren't fed up with looking at him, you'll probably be it after this one. He has a limited acting ability, and he is putting it to the limits. Peter Mygind struggles with his image as the fun boy and actually get's away with it. But Susan Olsen's Charlotte is probably the most authentic character that must grant her a breakthrough in Danish movies.
Åke Sandgren has made a 'humanistic fable'. Sometimes it is too humanistic, sometimes it is too fable, but it has it's moments - still it is one of the weaker Dogme films.
6/10
