Bleeder

Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Bleeder is the story of a young couple whose life is changed when a man learns his wife is pregnant as she is bewildered by his sudden dark behavior. The film is an exploration into the transition of adulthood told in a dark fashion as it plays to Refn’s interest in the world of detachment. Starring Kim Bodnia, Mads Mikkelsen, Rikke Louise Andersson, Liv Corfixen, Levino Jensen, and Zlatko Buric. Bleeder is a wonderfully stylish drama from Nicolas Winding Refn.

After receiving news that his girlfriend Louise (Rikke Louise Andersson) is pregnant, Leo (Kim Bodnia) is shocked by the news and the arrival of a new baby as he’s unsure if he wants a child. While Louise’s brother Louis (Levino Jensen) is ecstatic about the news and hope Leo will do go, an event where the two were working at a club leaves Leo shaken by the violent incident. While Leo and Louis also spend their time watching movies at a video store with their friends Kitjo (Zlatko Buric) and the shy film buff Lenny (Mads Mikkelsen) who works at the video store with Kitjo. Lenny’s anti-social life starts to change when he meets and falls for a girl named Lea (Liv Corfixen) who works at a diner as he tries to talk to her but couldn’t muster the courage to make a date with her.

During one night where the four guys watch a film, Leo brings a gun to the screening to threaten Louis over a dispute concerning Louise. Leo’s behavior suddenly starts to unravel as he takes it out on Louise prompting Louis to do something. Notably as it would cause a lot of trouble for Leo who becomes consumed with guilt where he would do something that would change everything in his troubled life.

The film is about the life of a man that is about to change due to the fact that he’s going to become a father. Unfortunately, he isn’t ready because of all the anxieties he’s facing about becoming an adult and handle the responsibility to deal with a child. Notably as an incident where he works as a bouncer at a club leaves him shaken about the world he’s about to enter his child in where would eventually unravel and scare his friends including his girlfriend’s brother who is later to be revealed as a more troubling person to deal with.

Nicolas Winding Refn’s screenplay is intriguing for the way he explores the world of young adulthood in Copenhagen as it features five characters who are quite young with another in his 40s. Though the narrative is uneven due to the subplot of a socially-awkward film buff who falls for a book-loving woman who works at a diner which is a bit comical. It does make the film also uneven in its tone though it is still a very engaging story as it fits to the theme that Refn wants to explore.

Refn’s direction is definitely stylish from the opening montage to introduce the characters to the wandering hand-held tracking shots he creates to explore the video store. While the film is presented in a straightforward manner in terms of its drama with some style added in the compositions that Refn creates. The film does have an air of darkness in the main narrative from the club break-in scene to the more chilling moment in the film’s third act when Louis confronts Leo in one of the most disturbing moments in film. Some of the darker moments of the film does have compositions that are quite striking while Refn does maintain the focus on the anxieties men have in the transition to adulthood. Despite the uneven narrative, Refn does create a solid film that is exciting but also unsettling.

Cinematographer Morten Soborg does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful photography to play out the exciting world of late 90s young adult culture while creating some stylish lights for some of the film‘s interiors such as the club, the bookstore Lea hangs out at, and the room where the guys watch the movies. Editor Anne Osterud does incredible work with the editing to play up the rhythm of the some of the film‘s violent scenes with some swift cuts to more stylish cuts such as dissolves and jump-cuts to play with the film‘s transitions.

Production designer Peter De Neergard does wonderful work with some of the places in the such as the video store Lenny and Kitjo work at to the diner‘s kitchen that Lea is often at. Costume designer Loa Miller does very good work with the costumes as a lot of it is quite casual with the exception of some of the stylish suits the men wear during their movie night. Sound designer Svenn Jakobsen is terrific for the some of the intimacy set in some of the interior locations to more tense moments in the club fight that Leo witnesses. The film’s score by Peter Peter is a superb mix of chugging hard rock, metal, dream-pop, electronic music, and ambient as the soundtrack plays to the personalities of these characters as it includes a great dream-pop cover of John Lennon’s Love that is played in the film’s final credits.

The film’s cast is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it includes some memorable small performances from Ole Abildgaard as a video store customer, Gordana Radosavljevic as a mother Louise befriends, and Clause Flygare as Lea’s diner boss Joe. Zlatko Buric is very funny as the wise and laid-back Kitjo while Liv Corfixen is wonderful as the bookworm Lea who is intrigued by Lenny’s strange behavior. Rikke Louise Andersson is excellent as Leo’s kind girlfriend Louise who is baffled by his sudden behavior as she is trying to help him make changes. Levino Jensen is superb as Louise’s brother Louis who is concerned about Leo’s behavior while proving to be someone who will get serious if things go wrong.

Kim Bodnia is great as the troubled Leo who is dealing with all of the new changes around him as he brings a real intensity to his character that is teetering on the edge. Finally, there’s Mads Mikkelsen in an impressive performance as the shy film buff Lenny who always talks about films just so he can avoid talking about real life. There’s also a wonderful restraint in Mikkelsen in the way he displays the awkwardness of his character as it’s definitely a performance to see.

Bleeder is a stellar drama from Nicolas Winding Refn that features incredible performances from Kim Bodnia and Nicolas Winding Refn. While it’s a very different film of sorts from some of the more violent films that Refn has done. It’s also quite engaging for the way he presents life in transition despite the uneven narrative it presents. In the end, Bleeder is a charming though dark film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

© thevoid99 2012

Pusher (1996 film)

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and screenplay by Refn and Jens Dahl from a story by Refn, Pusher is the story of a week in the life of a mid-level drug dealer who is trying to maintain a professional life as he is dealing with people who is trying to involve themselves into her personal life. Starring Kim Bodnia, Zlatko Buric, Laura Drasbaek, Slavko Labovic, Mads Mikkelsen, Vanja Bajicic, and Peter Andersson. Pusher is an exciting and chilling debut film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Frank (Kim Bodnia) is a drug dealer who deals in all sorts of drugs in Copenhagen with his friend Tonny (Mad Mikkelsen) as they live a lifestyle that is fast and profitable. Though Frank also has a girlfriend-of-sorts in a prostitute named Vic (Laura Drasbaek), he remains focused on his work as a dealer as he owes money to a Serbian drug lord named Milo (Zlatko Buric). When Frank meets a Swedish man named Hasse whom he knew in prison years ago, Frank asks Milo for 200k of heroin to sell to Hasse so he can pay off his debt. Instead, the deal goes wrong when cops come in and bust Frank who loses the drugs and finds himself in even more trouble with Milo.

In order to repay Milo the debt that has now increased, Frank reluctantly teams up with Milo’s bodyguard Radovan (Slavko Labovic) where they find those who owes Frank money only to come up with very little. With his time up and no one to help him, Frank devotes his time to Vic whose dog is very ill as she is hoping that they become a real couple. Yet, when one of his drug mules in Rita (Lisbeth Rasmussen) reveals what she did to drugs that Frank gave her to sell. Frank realizes he’s in serious trouble as he contemplates making one final move with Vic to help.

The film is about a week in the life of a drug dealer whose attempt to clear a debt to his boss becomes troubling as he is forced to face the severity of his life in his attempt to get everything that he owes. It’s a film that explores the life of this mid-level drug dealer who is good at what he does, he makes connections so he can create these deals but he is also very detached when it comes to his personal life. He has a girlfriend where he’s only interested in just having sex with her rather than have a real relationship. He has a friend whom he just wants to help him in the drug deals. Then he has this boss whom he’s friendly to but when things go wrong, the boss no longer becomes friendly as he and his henchman become quite vicious towards him.

The screenplay that Nicolas Winding Refn and Jens Dahl create is a story where they follow the life of this drug dealer in the span of a week as the script is also a character study of sorts. There’s not many reasons into why Frank doesn’t like to reveal much about his personal life though he only tells Tonny about why he’s cautious in having sex with Vic. With Vic, he doesn’t say much to her either though he does like to take her out to places. When he’s doing his dealing, he’s focused but after things go wrong. He has no idea what to do where his only motivation is pay off this debt or else he’ll face various consequences. He’ll probably go to prison again, he’ll likely get beat up, or he might be killed. He also has to deal with betrayals and other problems that just raises the stakes of everything he’s dealing with as the script succeeds in creating the element of suspense over everything that is happening to him.

Refn’s direction is very entrancing for the way he creates a film that is more than just some drama about a drug dealer’s troubles. It’s a film that is filled with lots of excitement such as Frank trying to run from the police through Copenhagen while there’s a lot of humor involving scenes with Tonny. Still, it’s a dramatic film with a lot of dark and intense moments where it revolves on a man trying to pay off his debt in the film’s second half where the film’s violence is more brutal and the humor is much darker. While a lot of the film is shot in a hand-held style with lots of close-ups and wide shots to display the violence. Refn’s direction is always engaging for the way he captures these very personal relationships and how a character like Frank tries to deal with all of his troubles. Overall, Refn creates a very solid and thrilling film that refuses to play to convention while taking some of these conventions to make it exciting.

Cinematographer Morten Soborg does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography that is quite vibrant and colorful for the film‘s daytime scenes in its interior and exterior setting while playing to the stylish look of nighttime Copenhagen as the photography features some grain to maintain a gritty look. Editor Anne Osterud does wonderful work with the editing by creating some amazing rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s intense moments of violence along with a more straightforward approach to the editing for the more dramatic scenes. Production designer Kim Lovetand Julebaek does terrific work with the film’s art direction from the place that Milo runs to the loft that Frank shares with Vic.

Costume designer Loa Miller does very good work with the costumes from the track suits Frank and Tonny wear to the more stylish clothing of Vic. Sound editor Peter Schultz does superb work with the film‘s sound to capture the atmosphere of the clubs Frank, Tonny, and Vic attend to the intimacy of Milo‘s home to play out the suspense. The film’s score by Povl Kristian and Peter Peter is brilliant for the soundtrack that is created as it ranges from throbbing electronic music to thrilling hard rock as the soundtrack also includes a cut from the American metal band White Zombie in the film’s chase scene.

The film’s ensemble cast is incredible as it includes some small but memorable performances from Lars Bom as a police officer who interrogates Frank, Thomas Bo Larsen as an addict Frank and Radovan confront, Vanja Bajicic as one of Milo’s henchman, Lisbeth Rasmussen as Frank’s drug mule Rita, and Peter Andersson as the Swedish drug dealer Hasse that Frank meets who offers to buy drugs from him. Slavko Labovic is excellent as the brutish but also calm henchman Radovan while Mads Mikkelsen is wonderful as Frank’s very funny sidekick Tonny. Laura Drasbaek is terrific as Frank’s prostitute girlfriend who is trying to deal with Frank’s detached emotions as well as her own issues as she becomes concerned over their dog King. Zlatko Buric is great as Frank’s drug lord boss Milo who is just trying to maintain a good business while reminding Frank who is boss.

Finally, there’s Kim Bodnia in a marvelous performance as Frank where Bodnia brings a very low-key approach to a man who is quite troubled while also proving to be quite friendly with his friends. Bodnia’s performance also shows a brutality to a man who is put into an amazing amount of pressure where he also has this scene where he’s at his mother’s home where he knows what he’s doing isn’t good though it’s very understated to display the desperation that he’s going through.

Pusher is a remarkable film from Nicolas Winding Refn that features a great cast led by Kim Bodnia. The film is definitely a unique take on the world of drug culture while focusing the film on characters who are interesting and not playing to stereotypes. It’s also a film that is a nice introduction to Refn’s work outside of his more recent English-language films that broke him into the international film scene. In the end, Pusher is a fantastic debut film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

© thevoid99 2012