| Flicks

FLICKS: A Royal Affair & Django Unchained

Posted on 17 January 2013 by LeslieM

By Dave Montalbano

cinemadave.livejournal.com

Opening tomorrow is the Oscar-nominated best foreign language film A Royal Affair, a good motion picture that works on so many levels: the story is fascinating – yet contemporary; the cinematic details support the narrative and the Danish-speaking actors provide enough non-verbal communication for American audiences to empathize with their characters, regardless of subtitles. This film is history, minus the boring academic lecture.

Caroline Mathilda (Alicia Vikander) is courted by Danish King Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard), an immature man who is actually insane. The two marry and she begins to breed. Enter Dr. Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), a man of science, who becomes the King’s favorite adviser.

Under Dr. Struensee’s influence, reforms are made and people are happy. However, the Danish elite fear losing power and they challenge the King’s authority. While the King entertains himself in the brothel, Struensee and Caroline find comfort in each other’s arms.

Soon to be known as the new Hannibal Lechter and best known as the James Bond villain in Casino Royale, Mikkelsen creates a realistic sympathetic character. His Struenesse appears stoic, but Mikkelsen reveals the good doctor’s many shades of grey. As Caroline, Vikander matches Mikkelsen much like Ginger Rogers matched steps with Fred Astaire.

Despite Spike Lee’s ill wishes, Quentin Taratino’s Django Unchained has become a Golden Globe Awardwinning box office success. Even though this western suffers from his superfluous Taratino touches, it is the director/ writer’s most entertaining movie yet.

Clocking in at almost three hours, Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave separated from his wife, Brumhilda (Kerry Washington), who lives on a Mandingo Plantation owned and operated by cruel Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his equally nasty manservant Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson). After sharing adventures and life experiences with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz), Django learns enough life lessons to attempt to rescue his beloved.

Django Unchained is full of little interesting details with some creative violence and first rate performances from Jackson, Waltz and DiCaprio.

However, if one is seeking a good story with strong character motivations and a sense of history, go see A Royal Affair opening this weekend.

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