Film: Whether as screenwriter (including. of the wonderful "Wilbur wants to kill himself") or director, Anders Thomas Jensen has proven time and again that he is not afraid to handle completely politically incorrect topics in such a way that as a viewer you can't help but laugh at them. This was already the case in "Dänische Delikatessen", where people were processed into tasty sausage. And it's no different with "Adam's Apples", where Anders Thomas Jensen wraps explosive topics like right-wing radicalism, alcoholism, mental disabilities or sexual abuse in a blackly humorous garment and blends them into a wonderful whole that, in all its irreverence, never really lapses in tone.
The story is told of neo-Nazi Adam (Ulrich Thomsen), who is sent to country priest Ivan (Mads Mikkelsen) for rehabilitation. Adam doesn't get along at all with Ivan's almost unnatural good-naturedness. And his roommates, the drunkard and sex offender Gunnar and the Arab gas station robber Khalid, are a thorn in his side right from the start. More and more Adam doubts Ivan's behaviour, as he meets even the greatest obscenities and even physical attacks with unwavering understanding. Adam realizes that this behavior is not so much good nature as it is obsession, which he wants to counteract with his viciousness. His goal is to draw Ivan out, get him really riled up, and thus prove that evil really does exist.
His other goal is to bake a delicious apple pie using apples from the church apple tree. But this soon turns out to be just as difficult as fighting Ivan's good nature. It all goes so far that events spiral dramatically and Adam finds himself second-guessing his entire attitude.
The enjoyable thing about "Adams Apples" is that behind all the nastiness of his script, Anders Thomas Jensen has hidden a truly beautiful story that slowly but surely unfolds before the audience's eyes. Every politically incorrect scene has a deeper reason, is not just used as a means for a cheap laugh, but serves the whole story. The excellent screenplay is carried by two top-notch lead actors. Mads Mikkelsen, who most recently wowed as Bond's antagonist in "Casino Royale", plays the various facets of his character with a bravura genius. And Ulrich Thomsen is as hilarious as he is terrifying as the right-wing Adam. By taking the characters and their motivations seriously, the film never degenerates into cheap claptrap, but always maintains a high level, which was not without reason awarded several film prizes.
Who likes deep black comedies with heart and mind, not bothered by complete political incorrectness, will have his bright joy in "Adams Äpfel". Unfortunately almost completely lost in the cinema, the flick will now hopefully receive more attention on DVD. Absolutely worth seeing!!
Picture: The image of the DVD pleases by the strong mixed colors. The overall sharpness impression is okay, though slight image drizzle can be detected here and there in the darker scenes. Also, the contrasts could be a little better overall, but still, the overall impression is satisfactory and good.
Sound: In direct comparison, the Danish soundtrack sounds a little more harmonious and powerful, than the two German soundtracks. But since there are only a few scenes in which some dynamics are noticeable in the sound anyway, even the front-heavy German tracks are quite satisfying. Good.
Extras:The nearly half-hour making of is very informative, has some nice scenes from the filming to offer in addition to interviews, but overall lacks some of the charm and bite of the film. The 15 minutes of cut scenes offer some nice moments, with the last five minutes consisting of various shots from the final scene and thus not necessarily qualifying as cut footage.
The trailer for the film in German and Danish, as well as text panels with a recipe for Danish apple pie and information about the Book of Job, along with other programming tips from the provider, round out the bonus material. Nice, but not mind-blowing.
Conclusion: "Adam's Apples" is a raunchy, irreverent comedy with a lot of heart and mind. In the hands of another director, the story could easily have degenerated into a tasteless embarrassment, but Anders Thomas Jensen hits the right note at every moment. The DVD transfer is decent and the bonus material informative, though not really mind-blowingly good. Overall, though, the film alone is enough to give a definite buy recommendation here.
Original title: Adams Æbler
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
Number of discs: 1
Languages: German (Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Stereo 2.0), Danish (DD 2.0)
Subtitles: German
Image Format: 16:9 (2.35:1)
Extras: Making of, cut scenes, trailer, recipe for Danish apple pie, background info
FSK: age 16+
Length: approx. 93 min
Regional Code: 2
