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Directed by:
Mads MatthiesenScreenplay:
Martin ZandvlietCinematography:
Laust Trier MørkComposer:
Sune MartinCast:
Kim Kold, Lamaiporn Hougaard, David Winters, Elsebeth Steentoft, Allan Mogensen, Barbara Zatler, Per Otto Bersang Rasmussen, David GarmarkVOD (1)
Plots(1)
Dennis is a professional body-builder. Though nearly forty, he still lives in a tiny room in his mother’s house and has yet to find a girlfriend. But behind the massive, muscular exterior is a quiet, shy man desperate to find love and happiness. Following his uncle’s example, he goes to Thailand to find a partner among the many women available to foreign tourists. After several unsuccessful sorties to local bars, it seems the whole trip will end in fiasco. Then he meets the owner of a gym and is instantly attracted to her. This love story with a difference raises questions about various kinds of love while avoiding the oversimplifications of similar films. Thanks to its realistic style and reliance on authentic locations and non-professional actors, it succeeds in letting us see into the characters’ innermost lives. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
(more)Reviews (3)
Unlike Virgin Mountain, which also follows the story of a shy, asocial grouch, Teddy Bear is blunt, without feeling or psychological detail. It’s as if the filmmakers wanted to show the intellectual simplicity of the protagonist with the emotional shallowness of narration. On the other hand, its script is pure and leads to a liberating destination without unnecessary twists.
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As I watched, I thought the main character reminded me of something. And then I looked at the director’s filmography and everything became clear to me. Teddy Bear is something like an extended version of his short movie Dennis, which fascinated me back then. Well, I was just as intrigued by this film. Kim Kold plays a quiet, introverted good guy who has three times more muscles than I have fat on my belly. His performance is not bad, and the same goes for the story, which unfolds in a somewhat classic way, but you still keep hoping for a good ending. The Scandinavians are very good in these realistic life dramas, so I enjoyed this film to the maximum.
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One of the many Nordic titles influenced by Trier's Dogma 95. A real environment, a handheld camera, and a believable and, in its own way, banal story devoid of any decorative and manipulative elements typical for entertaining film fiction. The film suggests the feeling of a documentary. Denis may command respect with his giant muscular physique, but he struggles in his romantic relationships and is under the influence of his dominant and manipulative mother. The years pass relentlessly, and Denis decides to escape from the seemingly comfortable environment of the "mom hotel" at all costs. He travels all the way to Thailand to find love and a new home. An encounter with his mother becomes inevitable. Teddy Bear is actually quite an ordinary film in terms of content, and I'm not sure if it would work as successfully if it didn't feature the striking presence of Kim Kold in the role of the gentle giant with a good heart, who moves us with his clumsiness. Overall impression: 60%.
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