Queen of Hearts

Quite a wild Danish story. The Danes were once again not afraid to open a quite serious topic, this time targeting a MILF who gets it on with the son of her husband. But because we’re in Denmark, the Scandinavians don’t skimp on the plot twists and you won’t believe the lengths to which Trine Dyrholm’s character is willing to go. After all the Scandinavian dramas I’ve seen, it doesn’t surprise me that much. The only thing that did surprise me in this film was one explicit scene, which will probably stay in my memory forever. Oh well. (21/02/2020)

What I thought the first half an hour of Queen of Hearts is that it’s a decently directed interlude to a “milf-stepmom something” video on Pornhub. And there really are porn scenes, with surprising details and naturalism. However, the irresponsible whim of the fifty-year-old married woman, which at first seems to be mere entertainment for a bored missus, turns into a family drama of unexpected proportions with an impact on everyone involved. The Danes are once again psychologically accurate in how they tackle the topic of the dark side of human nature, this time shown in a dangerous manipulative woman. The main character’s counter-attack when she is cornered by her husband is the most open admission of the most typical failing of the fairer sex. The film is surprisingly open and direct for today’s world. I’m kind of surprised that Trine Dyrholm wanted such a role. (29/09/2019)

A masterfully grasped, serious theme of abuse of power and domination, which has a functionally-set directing concept - after a distant introduction, in which the protagonist experiences feelings of dissatisfaction and boredom, the film turns into subjective filming when passion awakens in the protagonist... and inevitably leads to a hypothermic conclusion in which Anna will make several difficult moral choices without any hope of a happy start. Queen of Hearts is urgent in making simple moral judgments impossible. Anna's choices may be reprehensible, but they are also understandable. Trine Dyrholm plays this character perfectly and her acting really dominates the screen. It is a pity that the conclusion crumbles and falters and the final tragedy and closed arc are no longer as impressive as some (not as fatal) of the consequences before them. I very much appreciate the broadening of the perspective of the MeToo debate on the topic of vulnerable and naive masculinity. (16/01/2020)

This is how I imagine a typical Scandinavian drama. The story unfolds at a very calm pace, I would even dare to say that it drags on for some viewers, but, for me, it has an ideal pace. After all, it's about everyday life, right? Sure, everyone has different standards, but in life, you are more likely to encounter situations presented by the Danish-Swedish group of creators rather than being abducted by a UFO or winning a billion-dollar jackpot. Well, I guess my life isn't exactly fast-paced either. I bet adolescents and hardcore puritans will remember only a few scenes from the whole film (the former just to get off on those scenes, and the latter to advocate banning this pornographic garbage), completely missing the point of the movie. For me, the theme was brilliantly handled. Trine Dyrholm shone in the role of a cold-blooded manipulator. When you realize what her character, Anne, does for a living (and what she probably considers her life mission), the film leaves an even more unsettling impression. I'll add a fifth star just to spite the self-righteous prudes. / Lesson learned: Every action has its consequences. But you also get urges... (15/07/2023)