Green Butchers

Year: 2003

Grade: B

Country: Denmark

Director: Jensen

Review

sort of similar to jeunet’s delicatessen because of the cannibalism element. it’s a fairly funny film starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas who was also in reconstruction, another good, recent danish film. he actually plays two roles in this film – one as the co-owner of the butcher shop and one as his twin brother. Mads Mikkelsen is the other co-owner and his performance is even better than Kaas’s. he plays a mentally disturbed, but quite funny, butcher in constant search for the perfect meat marinade.

visually the film belies some of the dark humor – much of the film is stark and wintry. it’s a very blue-white film which might be expected from a danish film, but i can’t remember any snow in the picture so weather didn’t really add to the cold feeling of the film. the color scheme of the film reminded me of “songs from the second floor.” the camera, though, moves quite a bit more than it did in that picture. there are a lot of slow sweeps and high angle shots that sweep down to eye level. i don’t know if it was merely a stylistic choice or if it was supposed to echo the descent of the characters.

though it’s a dark comedy it does have some heavy moments. there’s a love interest between kaas and the main female character. there’s also a secondary storyline which follows the falling out between kaas’s main character and his retarded twin brother. the drama never gets in the way of the humor and the film’s end demonstrates this as clearly as anything else. a good film that you’re not likely to see.