A SECOND CHANCE (EN CHANCE TIL)
Cert 15
102 mins
BBFC advice: Contains drugs use, child & domestic abuse, bereavement theme, very strong language
At last. Oscar season is always followed by a month of disappointing movies so it was wonderful to see quality shine from the darkness.
Actually, that is a poor metaphor because A Second Chance is filmed almost entirely in Denmark's twilight.
Nevertheless, it is another Scandinavian thriller which upholds the region's high reputation for very gritty storytelling.
It stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a detective who pushes the boundaries to get results.
He is working on the case of a hardened criminal (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) who lives in a filthy apartment with his drugged-up girlfriend (May Andersen) and a neglected baby.
Meanwhile, he has the perfect home life with his wife (Maria Bonnevie) and their own child.
In parallel, his work partner (Ulrich Thomsen) is drifting into a life of drink and despair after his spouse left him for another chap.
A Second Chance's director Susanne Bier is one of my favourites, having been behind the lens for the brilliant In A Better World and the very good Love Is All You Need.
She maintains her reputation here by deftly linking the three parallel lives in tumultuous and often unexpected ways.
She is aided by terrific performances by a superb cast.
A Second Chance is, at times, a very tough watch (the Scandinavians tend not to pander to sensibilities with their thrillers). But it is a movie which could well be in my top 20 come the year's end.
Mrs W and I watched it after a very pleasant Sunday afternoon meal at Nottingham's superb Broadway cinema.
Director Susanne Bier: "I find moral dilemmas interesting: knowing who is really right and who is really wrong, our common desire to make clear, black and white decisions are actually totally impossible."
Reasons to watch: High-quality bleak Scandinavian thriller
Reasons to avoid: A bit too bleak for some
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 9/10