The Green Butchers

A great movie from Anders Thomas Jensen! The best danish director and writer in my opinion.

If you like black humor, you will love that movie.

Sweeney Todd... if he were a butcher?*

I watched this as part of my run through Mads Mikkelsen's filmography, but it may as well be a Nikolaj Lie Kaas 'watchathon' given how often he has appeared - not that I'm complaining, I like him as an actor. Him and Mikkelsen (how about that trim!) are terrific all the way through this 2003 flick.

The story is a surprisingly simple one but is one that never bores or overstays its welcome, the 90 or so minute run time is perfectly selected in that regard. It's a pretty messed up story but an entertaining one at that, you can probably predict large portions from a certain point - yet even then there are still bits that are against that grain.

Humour-wise it's solid if not spectacular, though a lot of it is naturally likely lost in translation... it still has its moments, mind. Elsewhere, I enjoyed the score a fair amount, it reminded me ever so slightly of a tiny bit of music from 2011's (outstanding) 'Source Code'.

In short: 'The Green Butchers' is excellent. I'd personally recommend that you check it out.

*looks like Andy Milligan and John Miranda did just that 33 years prior this with 'Bloodthirsty Butchers'... kudos!