Beast (2011) Reviews

• Scary insane troubled love

  OJT2013-07-22

  Bruno is a troubled man. He is over weight and obsessive. He has got his great love Maxine, which it seems he hates as much as he love. He's about to ruin their relationship with this love/hate thing. Maxine feels the relationship has grown cold, even though they have strange rituals they seem to love. This film is a strange bird, and made in a way that you think the main persons are watched or stalked. Obviously we a looking at a sick person in Bruno. But what is his illness? Bruno is almost manic depressive, and can be even more scary at times. Christoffer Boe is a director with different ideas, and this film, his fifth, is another strange on from his hands. A haunting, scary and frightening film, because it is so realistic in style. In a way I got associations to Roman Polansky several times in this film, which obviously is a good thing. I amazingly thought of "Repulsion", "Knife in the water", The tenant" and "Rosemary's baby" watching this. Don't know why, but I guess there's inspirations shining through here. I'm not to fond of the hand held camera usage her. I haven't trouble with this in other films, and Danish films seem to be full of it, since the Dogma films. But that should be done with a reason. Here it annoys me. It takes away our focus on the story told here. Had I only been used in unstable moments, I would have understood. It's an impressively made film, on a low budget, and I really love the incorporation of the Danish capitol in snowy winter time. It's very beautiful done. Music is also perfect. Acting is good, and kudos for making a different film, but I'm afraid it totally wasn't my cup of tea. I simply don't know if I like what I got out of it. Many will not like it, others will love it.

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• An evolution of love into something more.

  nick-yeo-main2012-02-01

  Obsessive, over weight Bruno moves into a new home with skinny wife Maxine. She doesn't understand the nature of his love, a love which has darkened into a boiling hunger. As Maxine's affections wane and wander, Bruno's desperation grows and his desires become ever more corporeal. His relationship with Maxine has become a physical part of himself and as it becomes corrupted, so, inevitably does Bruno. An claustrophobic portrayal of everyday cannibalism and the corrupting influence of obsession. Excellent performances, especially by Nicolas Bro, and sublime cinematography. Winner of the Jury Prize at the Gerardmer Film Festival in France.

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