Applause (2009, Martin Zandvliet)
Thea (Paprika Steen) is a woman clinging on the last threads of normality while her life is on the verge of collapsing. She is a supreme theatrical artist, confident and fiery, but is the complete opposite outside the stage, venerable and tame. Thea desperately wants to stay in touch with her two sons, who are in sole custody of their father, and tries to prove that she is a worthy mother. However, one step forward for her results in two backwards steps as her emotional pitfalls are never far away. The film splices scenes in between her plays and her non-professional life thereby gradually erasing the line between her theatrical persona and real personality. This style makes for an engaging character study with Paprika Steen putting in a career defining performance. The intense focus on her character and theatrical setting reminds a bit of John Cassavetes’s Opening Night.
Terribly Happy (2008, Henrik Ruben Genz)
The story and setting of the Danish film Terribly Happy, including the town and the bar, could comfortably exist in any of the Coen brothers’ films. Full credit to Henrik Ruben Genz for crafting a fine noir film, packed with a steamy affair and a murder, that maintains a tight tension until the end. Also, the film features a remarkable drinking stand-off sequence meant to literally determine the last man standing.
