EIFF: Just Another Love Story - Review by Guest Contributor Eva Hoffman

Director: Ole Bornedal
Running Time: 100 min
Fri 20 Jun, 23:59
Cameo 1
Sun 22 Jun, 22:30
Cameo 1

Ah the wonderful self-indulgent world of Danish cinema. The unlucky translation of the original title spoils a lot, it is not Just Another Love Story that Ole Bornedal (Nightwatch) is telling, Kærlighed på film is love within, on and for film in one. In best Sunset Boulevard – manner, he frames his cinematic tour-de-force with its dying hero. Superb Anders W. Berthelsen, who on his own is always worth the ticket money, stars as Jonas, whose mundane life is just “too real” for him. Luckily a horrendous car crash catapults him into the obscure world of film-noir, with invented identities, a mysterious woman, and serious danger. Bornedal happily plays with conventions, e.g. casting Danish superstar Nikolaj Lie Kaas in a seemingly supporting role thus hinting with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Losing focus on Berthelsen, the film goes off the rails over the last 15 minutes, which is disappointing considering just how enjoyable it is.