Portland (I) (1996) User Reviews

It could have been interesting

[thniels · 6/10 · 13 September 2003]

The basic story of a young criminal not quite living up to his won ideals of "not to give a damn" sidesteps out of his criminal career while dragging his younger brother into it, could have been interesting. Unfortunately the implementation is simply not good enough. As so often with Danish movies, there is little appreciation for detail thus leaving us with hoodlums talking like they've done time at a business academy rather than a prison. Dialects completely out of here and idiosyncratic bikers without bikes or even character for that matter. An ever accelerating surrealism towards the end doesn't help to clear the slow pace of this film but it does give a glimpse of what the story could have unfolded to become.

Anders W. Berthelsen is the only actor to lift this movie above average. Apart from a few misses he does a very good job. As for the rest they have far too little dialog and what little they have is wasted.

Quite interesting indeed...

[Sir Phut · 26 March 2001]

I did find this movie quite interesting indeed. The special way of simply telling a story about other people was something that I did like. I guess this is the kind of film you ether hate or love. The music (not speed metal AT ALL) fits the story which is intensified by the use of the color filters. Sit back and relax and take this film for what it is: A Film...

Not very interesting

[ads-12 · 1/10 · 12 April 1999]

Uninteresting film that desperately wants to be "hardcore" and "tough". But speedmetal and p**s-yellow colours lifted from Kieslowski's "Decalogue" alone don't do it! Where's the story? And the three-dimensional characters that we want to care about? Nowhere in sight, unfortunately.

One to be a classic

[max-147 · 10/10 · 18 May 2006]

This movie is a classic to me. Being a younger brother, the interaction between the 2 brothers lives seem so clear to me. I can totally relate to this movie, and that makes me wan't to give it 10. The movies ability to touch me so, makes it so real, and the directors understanding of brotherly love and the life of the people in their situation is so insightful, it almost scares me.

That was the overall impression. A few scenes of a movie making movies worth remembering, makes it all worth while, and cements them as brilliant. A few of them is:

the background of the city, changing to a blood raging city, when Janus takes the pills, shows GREAT movie art. The crooner music playing in the background at an old lady's apartment, annoying Janus, is also a classic. And also, not to forget, when the younger brother breaks his arm, showing how little he cares and how much he has learned, define him as being marked for life, for his and his brothers sake.

Ohh, and when the younger brother tells why he ran away from the foster home, I just laughed my lungs out. Perfect comment.

A sad and wonderful tale of the choices of a family that failed.

One of the best movies I've ever seen. Period!