A WAR (KRIGEN)
Cert 15
115 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong injury detail, strong language
Blimey this was good. Think of the Oscar-winning Hurt Locker but even better.
Mrs W and I were in the front row of screen five of the rather special Picturehouse in Crouch End, north London and were already salivating for A War, being aware of Tobias Lindholm's past offerings.
Lindholm was the writer of the exceptional The Hunt and The Hijacking and penned and directed A War.
Here he maintains our view that the Scandinavians make the most consistently good movies in the world.
A War is beautifully pieced together, moving quite unexpectedly from a powerful frontline film to a court room drama.
It stars Pilou Asbaek as Claus Michael Pedersen, the commander of a Danish combat unit in Afghanistan.
Pedersen is a model soldier, a leader with empathy for his team and quick-thinking.
But meanwhile, he has an unseen battle at home where his devoted wife (Tuva Novotny) is struggling to bring up their three young children alone.
The first half of the movie comprises of parallel scenes from Afghanistan and Denmark. One minute the extreme highs and lows of facing the Taliban and the next the intense highs and lows of the school playground.
Each sphere is reflected with pinpoint precision by Lindholm.
But it is in its second phase which The War really grabs. This brings Pedersen's home life and work together and is bursting with moral dilemmas.
Asbaek and Novotny are terrific in the lead roles and are well supported by a strong cast including Charlotte Munck and Søren Malling.
But the greatest plaudits should go to Lindholm. A War is a masterclass in writing and direction. The questions it poses will live long in the memory.
"A War" in Venice
Reasons to watch: Brilliantly directed film packed with moral dilemmas
Reasons to avoid: Some of the injury scenes are tough to take
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 9/10