Review of film: “MY GOOD ENEMY” [ = Report # 10 re 46th CIFF ]

2010, 09-29 =

Review of film:  “MY GOOD ENEMY”  [ = Report # 10 re 46^th CIFF ]

             REPORT # 10 on the 46^th CHICAGO INT’L FILM FESTIVAL =     

Earlier this year, it was reported on TV (including a segment on Oprah’s show) that people in DENMARK were judged to be the HAPPIEST / most content on Earth (due to their quality of life, etc.)...

...  It thus comes as somewhat of a surprise that this film from that nation (originally titled “Min Bedste Fjende”) concerns people who are so very FAR from being happy:

…  You might be reminded of the play “Billy Elliott” from the fact that the “hero” of this film, a “sensitive” 12-year-old boy named Alf (NIKOLAJ STØVRING HANSEN), takes BALLET lessons with a bunch of girls, and is “looked-down” upon for it by his schoolmates…

…  In fact, he’s made FUN of in class & later BULLIED by a bigger kid named Mathias (DAMON ANTHONY PHILLIPS JERICHOW) & his “assistant” bully Johannes (BENJAMIN MOLSING) and “underling” bully Alexander (JONAS EILSKOV JENSEN)…  

…  Please understand, it’s not ballet per-se that the persecuters care about--  they are “EQUAL OPPORTUNITY” bullies, picking on a bunch of OTHER kids such as boy Toke (RASMUS LIND RUBIN) for being fat, girl Tilde (CLARA BRUUN SANDBYE) for wearing braces, etc…. 

...  Some of the girls, such as Anemone (IDA KORTBEK), also pick on other kids in class…  It’s a sadly POISONOUS atmosphere in the school…

…  The tormenting doesn’t really let-up--  the bullies go out of their way to later BEAT Alf and to purposely damage his TOES so he can’t dance ballet.  Alf tries to keep what happened “secret” from his family members & the teachers, & Toke tends to do the same when HE is physically attacked by them…

…  In time, Alf gets the idea of JOINING FORCES with Toke.  He’s “encouraged” by some ideas in a series of graphic “Comic Books” concerning the exploits of a “warrior” named “Niccolo”, and Alf encourages Toke to join him in some plans at getting “BACK” at the various bullies…

...  But, their initial plans quickly start to “BACKFIRE”, & the bullies grow ever more VICIOUS in what they do…

…  Eventually, Toke gets the idea of recruiting MORE kids into their “army” to fight the bullies, such as Frits (JONAS HERUP) & Frans --  & most recruits are sadly willing to do almost anything to join & “FIT-IN” with the newly-formed “clique”… 

…  Could it be that the bullied will THEMSELVES become bullies in how they behave (as has happened in some famous stories in the past of kids becoming violent when they themselves are put in “CHARGE”)?...  Will real PROGRESS be made in making the kids’ lives really BETTER?... 

…  This film covers a subject that seems to be getting increased attention nowadays, namely, BULLYING by young people…  But, while I think that added awareness is admirable, I’m somewhat concerned with certain ways of HOW it was handled in this film:

….  Overall, I found this to be a DISTURBING story.  It appropriately shows the DANGER of tormenters & in not taking suitable actions to STOP them--  but so often, the efforts made by “victims” in the movie are NOT at all “proper” & those wrong paths keep ESCALATING the maltreatment, sometimes in frightening ways…

… In how the overall story was handled, I found the end very UNSATISFYING, incomplete & left things so “up-in-the-air” without a clear “CONCLUSION” for the “hero”, that you’re left almost expecting that there will be still MORE problems & likely brutal actions up “ahead”…

…  Is this the “message” the filmmakers actually WANTED to leave the public with?  I honestly don’t know.  I was left feeling like they sort of “threw in” a purposely “CHEERFUL” (“hopeful”) scene with usually-passive Alf almost as a “SOP” for the poisonous violence directly preceding it-- without any clear vision of how it could or “should” effectively CONCLUDE (for him in the movie & thus for the audience)…

…  Thus, we’re left with needing to “contemplate” just what is likely to happen in the “near future” for Alf & his compatriots, & I found it to be an overly VAGUE & very DISCOMFORTING “position” to be “left” in… 

...  Is that possibly what the filmmakers WANTED people to feel?...  In any case, I’d rate the movie a 7.25 out of 10 stars…

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