The Art of Crying (Kunsten at græde i kor)

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Cast

Jannik Lorenzen
as Allan

Jesper Asholt
as Henry

Julie Kolbeck
as Sanne

Hanne Hedelund

Thomas Knuth-Winterfeldt

Gitte Siem Christensen

Rita Angela

Bjarne Henriksen

Sune Thomsen

Tue Frisk Petersen

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Critic Reviews for The Art of Crying (Kunsten at græde i kor)

Audience Reviews for The Art of Crying (Kunsten at græde i kor)

• Jan 01, 2008

  An impressive debut for director Peter Schønau. I have to applaud getting a tragicomic story out of a horrific story based on true events, without making a mockery of it all.
  a z Super Reviewer
• Apr 20, 2007

  I saw this at its world premiere last year! I'm not quite sure what to think of this movie, though - it portrays a very disturbing view of mental and physical abuse and manipulation in a small-town Danish family, with a chillingly convincing performance from the film's young star. The story is an even sicker twist of the family abuse saga theme, with young Allan responding to his father's suicidal tendencies and manic depressiveness in a horrific way. I'm not sure who's more twisted in the end, and I felt a quiet horror watching the descent of this family. Here's my original review on IMDB: I had the privilege of watching this at its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Fest, and it's always great to discover new talent. Here, it's not just the discovery of Peter Schonau Fog, but also of the tremendous cast, especially young Jannik Lorenzen, who plays 11-year-old Allan to perfection with his cheeky bewilderment, and eventually with a heavy disappointment that accompanies his loss of innocence. The film reminds me of Schlondorff's The Tin Drum with its rather disturbing, yet comical theme of children growing up entirely too quickly, although The Art of Crying is, in my opinion, far more beautifully poignant as it is told through Allan's eyes. Henry (Jesper Asholt) is a milkman whose nightly suicide attempts and constant hysterics have driven his wife to taking sleeping pills every night to avoid him, and his son to university out of their sleepy rural village in Denmark. Henry's young son Allan (Lorenzen) adores him, and begins performing a series of bizarre acts in order to win his father's happiness, seeing nothing wrong with his father's manipulative actions and dysfunctional family dynamics. I enjoyed this portrayal of the tension between the rural and the urban, seen in Henry's interactions with his educated son Asger, his daughter Sanne's boyfriend the "moped rowdy" Per, and his neighbour the Buddes, who have introduced self-service at their rival grocery store. It's a compelling tale, grippingly suspenseful as you wait to see what Henry and Allan will do next, yet disturbingly funny as you watch Allan delight in the most unpleasant things (just as long as they make Henry happy). Strong performances all around, and a neat debut for Schonau Fog!
  Krystle C Super Reviewer

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