Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

tao902 Set in 1767, the British Princess Caroline is sent to Denmark to marry the mentally ill and promiscuous King Christian. A German doctor, Johann, a free thinker, is recruited to help organize the king's affairs. He influences the king's policies with Enlightenment ideas, undermining the interests of the ruling class. Johann has a child by the king's neglected wife which gives the conservative ruling council their opportunity to indict Johann of treason, resulting in his execution and restoration of feudal law.Based on a true story this is an intriguing piece of history well told in a well made film. Convincing, excellent acting within luscious, superbly filmed settings.

rogerdarlington I was so impressed by the performance of young Swedish actress Alicia Vikander in the sci-fi movie "Ex Machina" that, following a recommendation, I decided to view this earlier foreign-language film in which she has a starring role. In fact, it is a Danish film and she had to learn how to pronounce the lines correctly but she is simply wonderful. Like her fellow Swede Greta Garbo, the camera just loves Vikander and we are going to see a lot of her in future.Based on fact, "A Royal Affair" is the story of how, in the late 18th century, the British Princess Caroline Mathilde (Vikander) is the subject of an arranged marriage to the Danish King Christian VII (a first film role for Mikkel Boe Følsgaard), both of whom find themselves embroiled with an older German doctor called Johann Friedrich Struensee (former Bond baddie Mads Mikkelsen). At one level, this is a tale of political intrigue as Struensee joins the mentally ill king in battling an aristocratic establishment who have no wish to embrace Enlightenment ideas. At another level, it is a love story between Caroline and Johann and, in a different way, between the king and his mentor.The film looks beautiful with use of a range of locations in the Czech Republic and some fine cinematography. Nikolaj Arcel both directed and co-wrote with skill. But ultimately it is the cast who make the movie: as well as the three principal leads, each role is taken by a splendid Danish character actor so that collectively they certainly bring home the bacon.

paul2001sw-1 In the late eighteenth century Denmark, a radical German doctor soothed the mad King, seduced the Queen and governed the country as an enlightened liberal. Understadnably, it didn't last, and Nikolaj Arcel's film tells the story of his extraordinary rise and fall. It's a compelling story, a historical 'Borgen' and the tragedy of a man who ends up assuming an unsustainable position almost by accident; as a film, it's well-acted but also slow, drawing out a tale that can only ever move in one direction. A touch of sympathy for the old guard might have added some depth. It's interesting to think that the British king of the same period also had his own issues with mental health, another story that has been filmed: the politics here is stronger than in Alan Bennet's 'The Madness of King George', but it's not as much fun.

Jonathon Dabell One of the surprise success stories of the cinema of 2012 was the Danish-Swedish-Czech co-production A Royal Affair, from director Nikolaj Arcel. The film sounds very much like it will be something along the lines of The Other Boleyn Girl, The Duchess, or perhaps even The Young Victoria. However, it is not really like any of these other movies… for one thing the story (based on true events) is slightly more unusual and the handling of it more atmospherically gloomy; for another, the film is actually by far the best of its type in recent memory.In the 18th century, young English princess Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander) is offered as the bride to Danish monarch Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) in a bid to strengthen relations between the two nations. Initially excited, Caroline soon comes to realise what a terrible predicament she is in when she actually meets her husband-to-be. Christian, as it turns out, is mentally ill and acts like a child in an adults' body. He uses and abuses women on a whim; he throws tantrums over the most minor of things; he makes rudely outrageous statements regardless of the time and the place; he allows others to make all the important decisions of state without the slightest inkling of the consequences for his country. Into this farcical state of affairs comes educated country physician Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), a man of the Enlightenment who dreams of a better future. Quickly realising that the King is not particularly fit to rule, Struensee begins to help him to make better choices and decisions, and it isn't long before he is virtually running the country. There are many who are jealous of Struensee's position of power and importance, and they search desperately for a way to be rid of him. They get their chance when the doctor makes his one fatal mistake. Attracted to the alluring and unhappy Caroline, Struensee is unable to resist her charms and she, in turn, is unable to resist his strangely attractive looks and brilliant mind. The pair embark on a secret love affair, the consequences of which change their lives (and Denmark's future) for generations.Handsomely shot by Rasmus Videbæk, the film is a feast for the eyes throughout. It is a feast for the intellect too, with a very concise and well-structured script by the director himself and his co-writer Rasmus Heisterberg. They manage the impressive task of condensing and bringing sense to a huge topic without patronising the intelligence of the audience. Mikkelsen is superb as Struensee, exuding a charming sexuality which makes Caroline's decision to risk everything for him all the more believable. Vikander's portrayal of the unfaithful queen is quite wonderful, with further extraordinary acting coming from Følsgaard as the absurd puppet King. These three leading roles are so impeccably played that they keep one's attention glued to the on-screen events throughout. Building to a powerful and heartbreaking climax, A Royal Affair barely puts a foot wrong. There's the occasional over-melodramatic scene here, a touch of romanticised story-telling there, but all in all the film manages to be a thoroughly absorbing and believable account of extraordinary true events.