Adam's Apples
(2005)
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Adam's Apples
(2005)
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Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Ulrich Thomsen | ... |
Adam Pedersen
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Mads Mikkelsen | ... |
Ivan
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Nicolas Bro | ... |
Gunnar
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Paprika Steen | ... |
Sarah Svendsen
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Ali Kazim | ... |
Khalid
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Ole Thestrup | ... |
Dr. Kolberg
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Nikolaj Lie Kaas | ... |
Holger
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Gyrd Løfquist | ... |
Poul Nordkap
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Lars Ranthe | ... | ||
Peter Reichhardt | ... |
Nalle
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Tomas Villum Jensen | ... |
Arne
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Peter Lambert | ... |
Jørgen
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Solvej K. Christensen | ... |
Pige på tankstation
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Rasmus Rise | ... |
Ung fyr på tankstation #1
(as Rasmus Rise Michaelsen)
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Jacob-Ole Remming | ... |
Ung fyr på tankstation #2
(as Jacob Ole Remming)
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Ivan is a priest in a rural church known for the apples that grow on a large tree in front. He's odd: seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, in denial about personal facts, and convinced he's at war with Satan. The rectory is a half-way house for recently paroled convicts. Adam arrives for 12 weeks, a large, tough neo-Nazi, first baffled by Ivan's thick-headed optimism, then angry. He vows to break Ivan's faith. Meanwhile, in exasperation at Ivan's insistence, Adam sets a personal goal: to bake an apple pie. All goes awry for the tree: crows, worms, lightening. The Book of Job gives Adam perverse insight, and his hooligan mates provide the resolution's spring. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
This was a wonderful surprise at the (Cleveland) CIFF, a well-made dark comedy.
Adam is a neo-Nazi on a sort of Danish "probation for reprobates", where society's sinners are given a gradual re-introduction to public life under the guidance of Ivan, a parish minister. Adam needs to negotiate a "program" for his several weeks stay; despite his efforts at being arch and cynical Ivan takes him totally in seriousness, setting "baking an apple pie" as Adam's goal. A battle of wills ensues between Adam and Ivan, with wonderful comedic support from Gunnar (Nicolas Bro in another wonderful role) the ex-tennis player and Khalid (Ali Kazim) as a not-yet-reformed terrorist.
Everyone is coping here, but the central character is clearly Ivan (perhaps the funniest I've seen Mads Mikkelsen!). He comes across as "Pangloss" with a twist: "everything is for the best" in this world only in that the devil conspires to make everything a test of man's faith. He is completely deluded yet completely steadfast. This rational irrationality is perhaps the greatest challenge to Adam; no matter what he does Ivan retains his faith to a point where the comedy simply takes another course.
Not to give away the delight of this comedy's surprises, the characters cope with life, each other, are exasperated and exasperating, consistently inconsistent the trials of Job are well played out in this barely disguised absurdist romp.