A Second Chance (En chance til), 2014.
Directed by Susanne Bier.
Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen, Maria Bonnevie, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and Lykke May Andersen.
SYNOPSIS:
A veteran police officer with a wife and new baby makes a fateful decision when he is brought back into contact with a pair of junkie parents.
A middle class couple are enamoured with their baby boy who sleeps in a hanging basket beside the bed. It turns out that the husband is a police officer who upon responding to a domestic disturbance discovers a neglected infant belonging to a pair of junkies. The two worlds become entwined when the law enforcement officer wakes up in the middle of night hearing the screams of his wife who has discovered that their beloved child is dead and she threatens to kill herself; he makes a fateful decision to switch babies to save his marriage only to have things spiral out of control.
Little time is wasted in A Second Chance which takes full advantage of exploring its premise with strong performances from key members of the cast. At the centre of the emotional maelstrom is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Oblivion) who portrays a man who believes that by committing a criminal act he can save the lives of his wife and the son of the junkies; Coster-Waldau is able to convey his emotion turmoil not only by what he says but through his body language and facial expressions. Maria Bonnevie (I Am Dina) has a more showy performance as the emotional distraught spouse who is becoming mentally unhinged while Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Angels & Demons) comes across as a badass junkie who is prone to violent outrages.
Smaller roles are given to May Andersen who does not get to say a lot in her feature debut but is able to play the part of the junkie mother who believes that her child has been stolen and Ulrich Thomsen (The Thing) who does his best with the restricted role of playing the drunken police officer who unravels the deceit devised by his colleague. There are some surprises along the way that raises the states and consequences for the drama which explores how far people are prepared to go when trying to deal with a tragedy. Filmmaker Susan Brier is no stranger to movies about family conflict having helmed Brothers (2004) which deals with two feuding siblings. A Second Chance hits a lot of emotional notes and never loses track of the storyline. The cinematography has a gritty feel to it and the pacing of the shots allow the viewer to absorb the emotional tension which is unfolding on-screen.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★★★★/ Movie: ★★★★
Originally published September 14, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
