Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction

I rated this production as 8/10 because it was delightful and light and the acting was naturally funny and endearing. But what mostly attracted me to the movie was the scenes and the costumes, the decor, the whole period drama/comedy scene. I was surprised later to know that it was the Queen of Denmark who was responsible for all that! I am not a fan of royal families, but here I have to take off my hat for such a very successful and impactful production. It really made the movie as lovely as it was. The story is light, do not expect anything deep, this is a sweet period comedy set in a great context. At least 8/10 confirmed.

But anyone with a broad mind and a sense of fun will find this film a total delight. I approached it warily, sensing a tired old BBC-flavoured costume drama along the lines of Persuasion or Pride and Prejudice (the more recent version: the earlier one with Colin Firth was genial), but two minutes in and the sight of the Arch Duchess recomposing herself for her portrait after making a failed grab at the artist and I was captivated. Dialogues are spot on: timeless and utterly convincing; acting is flawless across the board; photography is ravishing. What more do you want? Answer, I want more from this team and this director.

Bille August's sumptuous production of Karen Blixen's novel is a joy for the eyes. It has fabulous on-location sets, beautiful countryside, CGI-enhanced mountain backdrops, and great costumes. It is filled with sweet, gentle, wry humor. It's a period-piece romantc comedy that Jane Austen lovers will also like very much. The cast did a fine job, with the three leads delivering convincing and (mostly) subtle performances that fit the tomne and mood of the story. All that said, it was a also a bit flat at times, and a bit overplayed, so a touch disappointing as well. Will there be a sequel ? It would be fun to see one !

In this adaptation of a Karen Blixen novel, Cazotte (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) discusses the art of seduction with The Grand Duchess (Sidse Babett Knudsen) while painting her. They hatch the idea of him teaching her shy son, Prince Lohar (Emil Aron Dorph) how to seduce Princess Ludmilla (Emilie Kroyer Koppel). The plan works and the young couple gets married.

However, a scandalous situation breaks out that requires the couple to hide from society for a few months in the country. Cazotte, who has been fancying lovely and proper young woman Ehrengard (Alice Esther Bier Zandén) for sometime now, suggests that she keeps Ludmilla company while the couple is in hiding.

Cazotte makes a bet with the Grand Duchess that he can seduce Ehrengard during this period of seclusion.

The conniving pair could not imagine that Ehrengard is not as naive and dumb as they think she is. What she does would leave a lasting impact on Cazotte and society.

This is pleasing to the eyes thus manages to hold the attention while the viewer keeps wondering what the story is leading up to. The twist at the end would leave the viewer chuckling.

I was expecting the worst due to some bad reviews I read about prior to seeing it. And I normally abandon a movie within the 15 Minutes but I truly enjoyed this satire. It's a good mix of culture, art, history, romance and comedy. It's for people with a good sense of humor and it was light I must say that the cinematography and jartwork done by the Danish Queen Margrethe was phenomenal. I wasn't really sure whether it was filmed in Denmark because there were some mountains in the background. But the art scene is lovely. The twists in the plot was hilarious as well. I was definitely entertained. This is not a serious dramatic historical thing, but an entertaining piece of romance, comedy, in a danish fashion.