Mad About Mads: Part III

 

For you, Heather :)

Valhalla Rising (2009)!!! Our Mads movie journey had finally come to this. I didn't quite know what to expect, and I was not disappointed. Mads, my friend, the only problem I had with this movie was that you didn't say one word the whole time. I wanted to hear your beautiful accent. The lack of words was made up for in wonderful cinematography, and Mads' ability to completely captivate an audience with a single look.

Mads as One-Eye with Are

 

Set in 1000 A.D. Mads plays a mute warrior (One-Eye) with seemingly supernatural strength. One-Eye has these "dreams" that show him what he is supposed to do. He can't lose a battle, and he is traded from owner to owner and forced to fight for his captors entertainment. He finally has had enough, and he slays his captor (violently, cue cheers from me for a bloody movie) and escapes with a small boy named Are.

 

Mads Mikelsen as One-Eye in Valhalla Rising (having one of his "dreams")

 

 

 

 

 

They then depart on a journey of self discovery. (I know that sounds cheesy) One-Eye starts the journey with no emotion, and seems to sort of find himself by the end, Realizing, *SPOILER ALERT!*, that he has to sacrifice himself to save the small boy that he has become attached to.

 

I highly recommend you check this movie out. 93 minutes of awesome. On Netflix.

 

Notice that I kinda left a huge empty spot in my review of this movie? It's because I want you to actually watch it. Concentrate on Mads and the beautiful cinematography, and just remember that it is a pretty weird movie.  

Next up?

Hannibal (2013 TV series)

The Hunt (2012)

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky (2009)

Prague (2006)

The Iceman (2012, Michael Shannon, another under-rated actor that deserves your respect)

Take Shelter (2011, Michael Shannon)

Mad about Mads: Part II

I decided that I'm going to start each of these blog posts with a different awesome picture, for Heather. :)

 

 

Adam's Apples (2005) was our next Mads movie. Pitch Black comedy at it's finest! Mads Mikkelsen plays a priest at a sort of halfway house. His character is unable to see negative anything. He is always happy, cheerful, and wants to see the best in anyone. When a neo-Nazi (Adam) is sent to the halfway house, you can see the obvious challenge he is going to face.

 

Mads in Adam's Apples



 

 

Mads' character tells (Adam) that he has to set a goal for himself. Adam jokingly says that he wants to "bake an apple pie", and being the cheerful, optimistic man he is, takes him completely seriously. Adam is put in charge of the apple tree at the church, and everything starts to go wrong!

 

Crows, worms, and finally lightning, attack the apple tree. A cat is also shot, so funny... anyways...

 

 

The movie was so good! Quite heartwarming and cheesy, and even a little predictable... but still so good to see a movie where Mads doesn't freaking die (spoiler alert!) I won't go in to too much detail in case you want to watch it, which I recommend! It's on Netflix!

 

 

Flame and Citron (2008) was up next. I can't even begin to properly describe this movie, so I stole this from imdb.com:

 

During Nazi occupation, red-headed Bent Faurschou-Hviid ("Flame") and Jørgen Haagen Schmith ("Citron" played by Mads Mikkelsen), assassins in the Danish resistance, take orders from Winther, who's in direct contact with Allied leaders. One shoots, the other drives. Until 1944, they kill only Danes; then Winther gives orders to kill Germans. When a target tells Bent that Winther's using them to settle private scores, doubt sets in, complicated by Bent's relationship with the mysterious Kitty Selmer, who may be a double agent. Also, someone in their circle is a traitor. Can Bent and Jørgen kill an über-target, evade capture, and survive the war? And is this heroism, naiveté, or mere hatred?

 

 

"Flame" and "Citron"

 



 

 

 

Based on a true story, which I again recommend you look in to, this movie was quite amazing. Mads was, as always, incredibly captivating in his role as Jorgen Haagen Schmith (Citron). Please, just watch it. On Netflix. I wouldn't recommend a movie if I hadn't thoroughly enjoyed it. Why can't we have made for TV movies like this in America?! I don't even (again) want to go too much into detail because I want you all to actually watch it. You won't be disappointed.

 

 

Next up?

 

Valhalla Rising (2009)

 

Hannibal (TV series 2013)