Niels Arden Oplev's marvelous SPEED WALKING: coming-of-age in 1970s Denmark

Who'd have imagined a movie about a death could be so full of life? Those Scandinavians who have read the novel, Kapgang, will already know this, of course. The rest of us will have to view the movie version to discover the delights of this tale of a 14-year-old boy whose mother has just died suddenly, and the loss and grief he and his family are thrown into, along with his also suddenly burgeoning sexuality which finds an object in both female and male classmates.

SPEED WALKING is alternately humorous, hot and heart-breaking, and the manner in which director Niels Arden Oplev (shown below) has brought all this together is quite splendid indeed.

Because the movie takes place in Denmark, the culture and attitudes we see will undoubtedly pull some American viewers up short. How can the adults on view be so cavalier about their own sexuality, let alone that of their children? That the movie takes place in the mid-1970s only points out how backward so much of America was then, and is perhaps even more so now.

Even though the Danes, not to mention the Swedes, were more open and embracing of sexuality, this does not mean that their society did not have its own problems, then or now. As shown here, there were still bullies and big-mouths at school, gossip was rife in the community, and the GLBT population were still seen to a large extent as outsiders.

As adapted for the screen by Bo Hr. Hansen from the novel by actor/writer Morten Kirkskov, the movie hops easily from scene to scene -- school and the speedwalking of the title to a funeral, religious confirmation, sexual exploration and more -- all tied nicely together by the director's skills (Oplev also made the original Girl With the Dragon Tatoo film) and the lead performance from a young newcomer named Villads Bøye (shown above and below, left), who it is difficult to imagine could have given a better performance.

Young master Bøye gets each moment right; he'll move you, surprise you and make you laugh -- sometimes simultaneously. As his best friend and possible lover, Kim, Frederik Winther Rasmussen (above, right, and below, left) is as blond, beautiful and handsome as you could want, while remaining just slightly out of reach -- except for an occasional hand job.

The adults are portrayed by some of Scandinavia's finest actors -- including Borgen's Sidse Babett Knudsen and Pilou Asbæk, David Dencik and Anders W. Berthelsen (shown at bottom).

The movie reveals how terribly "public" everything can be in a small-town environment at the same time as it shows us how kind and caring these townspeople can often be. Martin's journey toward adulthood, during which he must suddenly act as the only real adult in his family is a difficult one, but it is leavened with so much humor, incident and genuine feeling that I don't think that you'll regret, for even one moment, accompanying him on that journey.

From Breaking Glass Pictures and running a just-right 108 minutes, Speed Walking makes its home video debut this coming Tuesday, August 7, on DVD and VOD -- for purchase and/or rental.

Best TV show ever? Adam Price's Danish series BORGEN has a good shot at that title

Not only does TrustMovies not cover television -- let alone television in Denmark -- he doesn't even watch much television, cable or otherwise. So how can he be touting a TV series that began back in 2010, in Denmark yet, and has grown more popular ever since, prompting the celebrity/writer Stephen King to hail it his favorite TV Series of 2012 and BAFTA to honor it as Best Interna-tional TV Series of the Year. How? He watched four hours of the first season and was blown away by the subject matter, plot, writing, direction and performances. He will definitely finish that first season (there are six more episodes), but as it arrived last week on DVD in a classy boxed set, he figures he should alert you about it now. (Two weeks later, he has finished that entire first season, and everything he says below still goes -- except that the series, to its credit, turns darker by the finale than it appeared at the outset.)

BORGEN's the name, and politics is the game. The series' title, I am told, is the nickname of Christiansborg, the home of the Danish parliament and the prime minister's office, and from the first we are  tossed into the world of Danish politics. Surprise: It does not seem that different from American politics -- only smaller, more humane and with definitely more left-wing clout. The brain-child of a fellow named Adam Price, shown at right, who has done a number of series for Danish TV, this program has built up more international oomph than anything else he has done.

Even the best cable/streaming stuff I have seen (which would lately include Netflix's House of Cards, which I found very fine) can't hold a candle to Borgen in terms of clever plotting, intense drama, and writing that is on-the-nose in terms of smart dialog yet able simultaneously to sweep the plot along like wildfire. The performances are also aces, especially that of Sidse Babett Knudsen (below), who plays what appears to be the leading role (so far, at least).

What makes the show particularly wonderful for an intelligent American audience is that it introduces us to Danish government, politics and media in a way that we're able to follow. Yes, you may have to occasionally backtrack a bit to make sure you understood it all, but that's a small price to pay for such grand entertainment. And Borgen is, above all, spectacularly entertaining.

It combines several plots so far (I'm sure there are more to come): the rise of a smart and decent woman politician (Ms Knudsen again, above) trying hard to balance work with her husband and kids; an ambitious, young, very pretty TV reporter (below) and her love affairs, past and present, and a hot, maybe deadly story that falls into her lap; and politicians from various parties (Denmark, as does most of Europe and Scandinavia has more than two major parties fighting for the spoils), vying for their piece of the Danish pastry.

We also learn about Greenland, over whom (I did not know this going into the show) Denmark has some kind of sovereignty. If this is beginning to sound like too much work, trust me, it is not. You will be swept up so fast by this series, you'll won't want to stop watching for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even sleep. You'll also meet a savvy older journalist, below, who provides a lot of fun and smarts, and a bevy of PR people, secretaries, children and more.

The way in which Mr. Price has woven all this together is exemplary and seamless. Even in these first four episodes, we can see how changeable the characters surely are -- most of all perhaps the smart "spin doctor" (below) who has come full circle by the time we reach episode four. Borgen certainly demands concentration, so thank god for that "back" button on the remote.

I am forcing myself to hit the sack tonight, but I would not be at all surprised were I to rise sometime around 3 or 4am and pop a disc back in the player to watch another episode. Borgen's first season, from MHz Networks, in Danish with English subtitles, is available now in a 4-disc box set bearing a $50 suggested retail price. (Amazon has it for 5 bucks less, and Barnes & Noble for just $44.) You might also find it at some point broadcast on MHz Networks, if you live in an area the channel serves. (We don't get MHz here in NYC and environs.) Good luck, as this is a series to savor!