Let's Get Lost (1997 film)

Let's Get Lost
Let's Get Lost
	DVD cover
Directed by	Jonas Elmer
Written by	Jonas Elmer
Produced by	Per Holst
Starring	Sidse Babett Knudsen; Bjarne Henriksen; Troels Lyby; Nicolaj Kopernikus
Cinematography	Steffen Led Sørensen; Bo Tengberg [da]
Edited by	Mette Zeruneith [da]
Music by	Nikolaj Egelund [da; de]; Povl Kristian [da]
Distributed by	Dansk Novellefilm; Det Danske Filminstitut
Release date	19 September 1997;
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Denmark
Language	Danish

Let's Get Lost is a 1997 Danish film written and directed by Jonas Elmer and produced by Per Holst. The film is an improvisational slice-of-life comedy shot in black and white. The film earned the 1998 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film and shared the Robert Award for Best Danish Film with Barbara.

Plot

Julie has been abandoned by her boyfriend and seeks revenge. Mogens borrowed her sofa for a weekend but has been living there for the past 13 years. He aspires to become a composer but is living on welfare. Thomas wants to become a writer but is still struggling with his first chapter and works as a hospital porter. Steffen is deceiving the unemployment insurance system. The three daydreaming young men are occupying Julie's apartment while enjoying beer, television and football.

Cast

Sidse Babett Knudsen as Julie
Bjarne Henriksen as Mogens
Nicolaj Kopernikus as Steffen
Troels Lyby as Thomas
Jesper Asholt as Lille John
Martin Kongstad [da] as Rene
Mette Agnethe Horn as Charlotte
Tine Bernhard Nielsen as Vanja
Cecilie Brask as Signe
Vera Gebuhr as Mrs. Rothstein
Svend Gehrs [da] as television commentator
Michael Laudrup as himself

Production

The film was produced by Dansk Novellefilm and Per Holst Filmproduktion. Elmer's script was only an outline which required the actors to improvise their roles and dialogue.^[1]

Sidse Babett Knudsen made her film debut in the lead role of the character, Julie. Knudsen said she was not very good at improvisation and accepted the part only because she thought it would be a lightweight summer comedy.^[2]

Reception

The film became a breakout hit in Denmark and Knudsen received both the Robert Award and the Bodil Award for Best Actress.^[3] Critics called Knudsen's performance dominating.^[4] Film critic Kim Skotte of Politiken wrote that Knudsen had hit a new tone with a "special ability to capture the modern woman's uncertainty and strength."^[5]

The film earned the 1998 Bodil Award for Best Danish Film and shared the Robert Award for Best Danish Film with Barbara.

Notes

^ Peter Schepelern, "Internationalisering og dogme", 100 Års Dansk Film, Copenhagen; Rosinante, 2001 p. 343
^ Piil 2003, p. 240.
^ Morten Piil, "Barbara versus Babett" Archived 2012-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, Information, 10 March 1998
^ Piil 2003, p. 238.
^ Kim Skotte, "Den Eneste Ene er et nyt kapitel i historien om den danske komedie" Archived 2012-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, Politiken, 1 April 1999, written in Danish as "Med Let's Get Lost blev det slået fast, at dansk film i Sidse Babett Knudsen havde fået en skuespillerinde, som ramte en helt ny tone. En skuespillerinde med en særlig evne til at indfange den moderne kvindes usikkerhed og styrke."