LNAndersen

Definitely a low budget b-film. In the first half and hour I found the dialougue lacking a little bit, but the story got me hooked and I felt I was in good company. Great actors. I could feel their hearts were in it. Then the dialogue got better, above average I would say, and there was suspense from start to finish.

The subject of the film is a bit controversial. Is it ok to make insurance fraud and to go above the law, even if it's for the right cause(?) What should we as society ideally aim for(?) And what works best in real life on the ground(?) Those are the questions this film asks.

Finally, I would like to mention that this film in my opinion is the best Mel Gibson has been in since The Expendables 3 and certainly a lot better than what he's been in recently.

Being a mixture between "Præsten i Vejlby." and Morten Korch the film is more a tragedy than a comedy. Together with some excellent actors, strong dialects (it takes place in East Jutland, however there are many different dialects) and wonderful characters (all of the actors are excellent), this for me gives the film a quirky charm and personality. Compared to Karl Stegger (1972) and Henrik Malberg (1931) in "Præsten i Vejlby", Poul Reumert is here more jovial and perhaps naive

The dialects can, I think, be a little difficult to understand, but this doesn't change my overall impression of a highly charming look into the old days.

Not always satisfied with the quality of Danish films in recent decades, I must say that "Fædre og Mødre" together with "Speak no Evil" are the best Danish films since "Antichrist" (2009) in my opinion. "Fædre og Mødre" is also the best Danish comedy since "Idioterne" (1998) with which it has a rather lot in common. The acting and dialogue here are far above average even compared to international films. The film is often subtle in its message, and the humor is delivered in a relatively original way. And even though there's lots of humor, at the end of it most people will propably feel saddened. As for the actors, I would say that especially Katrine Greis-Rosenthal as the seemingly innocent and good-hearted Piv, Rasmus Bjerg as the carefree Per, and Amanda Collin as the passive-aggressive Julie stand out as exceptionelly good. But also the others are great.

As to what the film is about, I would say that it deals with the problem of when does freedom in society lead to too much suffering and idiocy, but it does it in a funny and not very politically correct way, so it never feels preachy.

Compared to "Den Tid På Året" (2018), also by Paprika Steen, this one I find much better. The dialogue is funnier and sharper, and the performances by the actors are significantly better. With "Fædre og Mødre" Paprika Steen has really shown herself to be one of the best directors in Denmark at the moment.