Den tid på året
Réalisation:
Paprika SteenScénario:
Jakob WeisPhotographie:
Jens SchlosserMusique:
Jeppe KaasActeurs·trices:
Paprika Steen, Sofie Gråbøl, Patricia Schumann, Lars Knutzon, Lars Brygmann, Karen-Lise Mynster, Jacob Lohmann, Fanny Leander Bornedal (plus)Résumés(1)
As the holiday looms, educator Katrine (Paprika Steen) is inundated with requests — or threatening demands disguised as requests. She and her husband Mads (Jacob Lohmann) will be hosting his parents; her divorced parents, including her eccentric and pretentious mother, Gunna (Karen-Lise Mynster); her pompous sister, Barbara (Sofie Gråbøl), a wannabe priest; Barbara’s even more pompous husband, Torben (Lars Brygmann), a writer specializing in biographies about obscure figures; and their uncontrollable hellion of a son. Katrine’s plans are upended when she gets a call from her estranged sister, Patricia (Patricia Schumann). The once-troubled daughter everyone but Katrine has written off, Patricia unexpectedly invites herself over. Her presence unleashes the high-strung Katrine’s inner martyr and prompts everyone else to abandon what little decorum they have left. (Toronto International Film Festival)
(plus)Vidéo (3)
Critiques (2)
Paprika Steen somewhat surprised me, as I was expecting a comedy, but the director steered her project towards a more serious tone. The jokes are still there, but they come later than expected and have a bitter taste. The film often relies on awkwardness and alienation, it is not liberating or joyful comedy, and it exudes bitterness and unease. In the first half, when the family clan gathered for dinner, I started to suffer from an aversion to the Danish in situations where they all talked over each other. This is a common problem in subtitled films, which struggle with dialogue-heavy scenes in groups. Indeed, quality dubbing can sometimes be a better choice. Acting-wise, there are no issues, but I admit that this time I would have appreciated a lighter approach to the subject matter. Overall impression: 60%.
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Thanks to well-observed situations and apt dialogues, the creators managed to perfectly outline a Christmas party when a large family meets regularly only during the holidays, for the rather common reasons that there are unresolved disputes and years of grievances between its members. The conversational dramedy That Time of Year has a very bitter flavor in many ways, but the protracted vicissitudes with cabbage lighten the heavy moments. (75%)
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