Swedish director Gustav Möller (“The Guilty”) is back; this time with an intense drama set in a Danish prison and featuring Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Borgen”) as the lead. She plays Eva, a dedicated and compassionate prison guard in a low-security facility. Eva cares for the inmates with kindness and compassion. She greets them with a smile every morning. She hosts yoga and meditation classes. Occasionally she's forced to raise her voice ever so slightly to curb minor offenses such as showering too long when others are waiting in line.
But her world collapses when Mikkel (Sebastian Bull) shows up on his way to a high-security ward for prisoners who have committed serious crimes. While Mikkel doesn't seem to notice Eva or know who she is, it's clear that he has somehow impacted her past. Eva's benevolence is gone. Her whole being appears traumatized. She finds it difficult to do her job and leashes out to the same prisoners she once looked after with so much kindness. But instead of being relieved when he leaves, she requests reassignment to the same ward. She becomes obsessed with Mikkel.
But her world collapses when Mikkel (Sebastian Bull) shows up on his way to a high-security ward for prisoners who have committed serious crimes. While Mikkel doesn't seem to notice Eva or know who she is, it's clear that he has somehow impacted her past. Eva's benevolence is gone. Her whole being appears traumatized. She finds it difficult to do her job and leashes out to the same prisoners she once looked after with so much kindness. But instead of being relieved when he leaves, she requests reassignment to the same ward. She becomes obsessed with Mikkel.
Anyone who watched “The Guilty” knows what a master Möller is at creating intensity with small means in tiny spaces. “Sons” takes place almost entirely in the prison facility. It is filmed in the 4:3 format so beautifully suited for the film's many close-ups, or long strolls down prison hallways.
Babett Knudsen is absolutely phenomenal as Eva. What a treat to see her convey the entire register from somber motherly concern for the prisoners (does she even have a life outside the prison walls?) to her mental crash when Mikkel appears, followed by icy revenge and unexpected insights, with such few words. The dialog is minimal.
Her acts of revenge start modestly by withholding Mikkel's cigarettes, throwing away his mail, and spitting in his food. But it doesn't take long for Mikkel to notice she's after him. When she crosses the line, the dynamic in their cat-and-mouse dance shifts so that Mikkel gains the upper hand. Her dream of revenge turns into a nightmare - except that Mikkel doesn't understand the depth of her hatred, or where it comes from...
Babett Knudsen is absolutely phenomenal as Eva. What a treat to see her convey the entire register from somber motherly concern for the prisoners (does she even have a life outside the prison walls?) to her mental crash when Mikkel appears, followed by icy revenge and unexpected insights, with such few words. The dialog is minimal.
Her acts of revenge start modestly by withholding Mikkel's cigarettes, throwing away his mail, and spitting in his food. But it doesn't take long for Mikkel to notice she's after him. When she crosses the line, the dynamic in their cat-and-mouse dance shifts so that Mikkel gains the upper hand. Her dream of revenge turns into a nightmare - except that Mikkel doesn't understand the depth of her hatred, or where it comes from...
Bull gives an equally wonderful performance as the labilely violent Mikkel. He's an undeveloped child in a strong man's body, without filter nor tools to manage his fits of rage. There is no hope for some, says the prison boss, and yes; it's hard to see a future for Mikkel, but also for Eva, consumed as she is by her hatred, desire for revenge, and feeling of guilt.
The dance between the two becomes a lesson in the futile act of vendetta. It also makes us think about the guilt we carry. Because how much influence do we have on the world around us? On our children? Our sons? There is an insightful scene between two mothers - couldn't the roles just as easily be reversed?
The dance between the two becomes a lesson in the futile act of vendetta. It also makes us think about the guilt we carry. Because how much influence do we have on the world around us? On our children? Our sons? There is an insightful scene between two mothers - couldn't the roles just as easily be reversed?
The storytelling is beautifully economical in the style of Debra Granik's “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” - every scene is there for a reason. And at the end - whether you're left pondering our human relationships or just enjoyed the thrill - “Sons” is an intense and exciting viewing experience! The story is skillfully constructed and the acting is superb.
Okay, the film has received some comments that it's unrealistic for a prison worker not to have been properly background-checked. I'd object that it's equally unrealistic for one of the most prestigious research institutes in the world to hire a doctor without checking his resumé - and yet there he is, Paolo Macchiarini, operating left and right. People sometimes slip through the net. For “Sons”, the means justify the ends.
Rating: 4/5
