Flame and Citron

Here I go.

Up first is a Danish film, Flame and Citron (Flammen & Citronen), directed by Ole Christian Madsen. This is a piece based on actual events regarding the Danish resistance to the Nazi occupation of their country during World War II. Stories like this in general are great, and I feel that when they are actually done by people of the country and in their proper language they turn out the best.

The story revolves around two men who go by their code names Flame and Citron. In their work they typically assassinate Danes who are collaborating with the Nazi occupiers. They are part of an underground network, and of course in this network things are not always as they seem. Things become complicated when a rat is discovered, and people are not sure who to trust. Mistakes are made, heroics take place, and an interesting story unfolds.

This is a drama first and a war film second. There is plenty of killing however, so it may not be for the squeamish. There are somewhat separate story lines, as you get to see the two men at their work, and at their personal lives. The side stories are good, and show the complicated nature of life in the underground. The action is also good. Acting is pretty quality as well. Some of the side characters are below par, I would include the leading lady in this. However the men that play the leads do a very nice job. Flame (Thure Lindhardt) is much more passionate and rash, and I felt like the passion was done well. Citron (Mads Mikkelsen, who played the villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale) was much more plain, but actually probably the more intriguing of the two. He is quiet and pensive, but one gets the feeling there is much happening between the surface. Overall the story line runs well. The movies runs for over two hours and is perhaps a little bit long, as it is slow at some parts, but overall there is plenty happening to keep you drawn in. Dialogue is nothing revolutionary, though it is passable, however I think that is typically kind of hard to judge via subtitles.

I would say this is a 3 of 4 star film. It can be a bit confusing, and a bit slow which are the main drawbacks. If you like historical pieces I say go for this one though as it really is quality on many levels, and is nice and interesting overall.

I may have been a little basic in the synopsis, but I didn't want to give anything away, as the suspense is rather important to the plot. See it.