Seaside Hotel is a gift from Denmark to the eyes of the world. The cinematography is outstating, the direction always crisp and yet not hurried and the acting superb. The Series captures a time a place and representative characters over a dozen or so years from about 1928 to 40 and does so with an eye for style and detail that is rarely seen on the small screen. Heck, it's rarely seen in multi-million dollar Hollywood films either.
The cast is uniformly excellent. From the slightly ditzy maid Edith played to perfection by. Ulla. Vegby to Bertha Neumann's austere bridge playing obsessed Mrs. Fjeldso. They're all good. And they're shown at their best thanks to the wonderful writing and well paced story telling that will reel you in and keep you wanting more.
I need to make mention of Cecile Stenspil. She looks like and even more beautiful young Joan Fontain (if that's even possible) and grows with her character over the seven years she graces the screen. But they're all good. Jens Jacob Tychsen .gives his egomaniacal matinee idol role everything he's got and he's one of many. Bodil Jogerson's Mrs. Anderson is filled with grace and wisdom born of pain. She's superb.
Pay particular attention to the skewing of film directors, actors and show business in general for the fun all of it offers. The bigger more thought provoking topics the series addresses are there for reflection and these too fit right in.
Are there perhaps too many subplots? Maybe. But they all tie in. Are there too many comings and goings behind doors that close just in the nick of time? Could be. But everything is handled so well that it all just seems to work. It works like like a well trained staff of maids and kitchen help who keep everything on schedule and everything in its place.
Be sure to check in to the Seaside Hotel. The staff has made sure that your room is ready.
