Kosmos

2010 Director Keha Erdem

This is Reha Erdem's sixth feature film.  It is a profoundly imaginative and cinematic journey that bursts with philosophical ideas, mystical subplots and truly surreal moments.

A distressed stranger wanders into a snow swept border town where he saves a young boy from drowning. The insular town folk welcome him into their community, but before long they realise that there is more to this stranger than meets the eye. His abstract philosophical musings are his only way of communicating and his reclusive behaviour soon raise suspicions. With the falling to earth of a satellite his situation spirals out of control.

Filmed in Kars, in northern Turkey, in winter conditions, this is a real tour de force and one that marks this director as a visionary creator of films. Is the hero the messiah or just a hapless idiot? I  guess everyone will differ in their interpretation. But this does not detract from the overall effect.

Pusher 3 - I'm the Angel of Death

2005 Director Nicolas Winding Refn

This is third film in Refn's trilogy of Danish underworld dramas and neatly rounds the whole saga up. It plays on exactly the same premise as the previous two giving a different reaction and perspective to similarly laid out scenarios.

This episode follows the path of Milo, the dealer who was present in both the previous episodes. He is struggling to kick his addiction whilst keeping his drug selling activities prosperous. His misfortunes involve a new group of Polish characters who are trying to muscle in on his territory. He too falls foul of a drug deal gone bad, while at the same time, trying to lay on a sumptuous banquet to mark the marriage of his daughter.

There is a good amount of humour in this episode, much of centring around Milo's poor cooking and struggling with the Danish language. This film is not for the squeamish as the violence is extreme, but very matter-of-fact. All in all, this is a coherent study of people dealing with extremely bad circumstances to the best of their abilities. It is directed with a refreshing frankness in a world where there are no heroes nor happy endings.

Pusher 2 - With Blood on my Hands

2004 Director Nicolas Winding Refn

This is Nicolas Winding Refn's 2nd foray into the Danish underworld. This time through the eyes of Tonny.

In the first instalment, Tonny was Frank's gormless, sex obsessed side kick, until Frank took a baseball bat to him. Here he returns from prison, more humbled and unsure of himself. He still sports a formidable scar to his head, but that is the only reference to Frank. Tonny sets out to go to work for his father who dabbles in stolen cars. Not before long he finds himself spiralling down the toilet of wastrels, pimps and whores. To complicate matters he finds that while in prison he has become a father. There is a return of Milo the drug supplier, now more portly, as well as other characters from the first episode.

This is a very cleverly made film, once again shot entirely with handheld cameras retaining the same grainy, almost amateur, look of the first film even though they are nine years apart. Mads Mikkelsen plays the part superbly evoking empathy even in the most dire situations. The film has a good deal of pornographic content but this is filmed in such a way as to make the actions sordid and unpleasant rather than erotic. All in all a very good sequel.

Pusher

1996 Director Nicolas Winding Refn

Set in the grimy underbelly of Copenhagen this film tell the story of a drug pusher’s misfortunes with a candid realism that is unusual.

Frank is a gung-ho drug pusher who is lured by a surefire deal. When the deal goes awry he finds himself in debt with his somewhat unforgiving supplier. The more he tries to get out of this dangerous hole the deeper he manages to dig himself in. He is accompnied, helped and hindered by a motley crew of misfits. There are several reference points in this film. The escalating frustration at being thwarted by fate reminded me of Joe Palantino’s role in the Wachowski brother’s “Bound” while the ending is definitely reminiscent of Bob Hoskin’s closing shot in “The Long Good Friday”.

The camera work is all handheld which gives it a documentary feel and the violence is almost matter-of-fact. This film was followed in very similar style some 9 years later by two sequels. Refn did not make the mistake of following Frank's story beyond its natural conclusion, choosing instead to follow the lives of the other two main characters, Tonny, Frank's hapless sidekick and Milo his drug supplier. It all makes very compelling viewing.