A Royal Affair

Følsgaard gives a brilliant performance, and the talented Arcel once again tries something new to great results.

Arcel has made a period piece with a skillfull hand. All actors are at their best and Følsgaard is nothing but superb as the mad King Christian VII. Only hickup is that maybe it's a tad to long. The danish film industry should learn from this and set their bar as high as Arcel. Screw all the mediocre productions coming out each year. This is how it should be done!

Having read Per Olov Enquist's brilliant book (which surprisingly wasn't used as source material) I was a bit sceptic about the "forbidden love" angle given to the story, but Arcel manages to build upon this crowd pleasing platform and delivers a genuinely exciting slice of (slightly rewritten) Danish history with some impressive visuals and great performances from the leads.

Convincing production values and a heartfelt core that could easily rival the likes of, dare I say it, "Barry Lyndon" or "Amadeus" make this historical piece the only period drama worthy of some consideration this year (take that "Farewell, My Queen") What's most fascinating is the fine balance Arcel strikes between immersive, albeit familiar storytelling and addressing various subjects that carry a timely message.

I have a great deal of respect for Arcel, as he is perhaps the best (and only?) genre-director in Denmark, and the production value here is inmense. The film was awarded best script in Berlin, but to me it should have won best direction, as they are all well casted, the acting is superb (Mads Mikkelsen finally good again, but still outplayed by Mikkel Følsgaard as the mad king) and the chemistry between characters is intense. It did get a wee bit cheesy with the letter, flash-back and that.

I don't know anything about the actual events that inspired this assembly line love tragedy, but it made me want to investigate matters like a day old cheeseburger makes me want to get into gourmet cooking. Mikkelsen and Vikander share the chemistry of a seagull trying to woo a bar of soap, but then again he is almost twice her senior... The leftist 'parallels' to modern day Denmark made me want to vomit all over some handicapped child.. God. I think I hate this film. Watch for Følsgaard only.

Lushly made period drama - the costumes and cinematography are stunning - which examines Denmark the brink of the enlightenment. It's a fascinating story but for me was let down by simplistic storytelling and too much telegraphing. Also, I did not buy the romance between Mikkelsen and Vikander for a second.

A well made but kind of empty feeling costume drama. It has all the ingredients it needs, good performances, a plot full of intrigue, political commentary and forbidden romance, but somehow all of those things are underdeveloped by a film that tries to do a lot but ends up doing very little.

The first 1hr20min is absolutely outstanding - then comes a middle part which kind a drags to a more typical Hollywood romantic period drama, and then the pic ends on a strong high note! The lead trio gives a fantastic performance - especially Mikkel Foelsgaard as the King. As for writer & director Arcel, pack your bags and move to Hollywood. Unless the Danish film industry gives/begs you to make more awesome pics!!! It is very well deserved.

While I enjoyed it to a point, it's also very cookie-cutter in its story, even if it is supposed to be a true story. Elegant in a way and very visual, it also becomes very predictable. I didn't know the original story, and it was obvious how it would play out. I can't give this one a hearty recommendation, but it's okay.

enjoyed the king's attempts to piss all over the usual stuffy period clichés, but alas, they'll always win out in the end. the pro-enlightenment stance and politics-as-performance/manipulation themes are a lot more simplistic than in lincoln, itself hardly a great example, while the wooden romance begins when *groan* the queen spots some rousseau on the doctor's bookshelf. the final half hour is almost unwatchably telegraphed.

This was a really good film. I've said it before, but I'm not always into period films. However, when they're this well made, I can't not enjoy it. It was also just interesting learning a bit about Danish history, which I don't know a lot about. The cinematography, set design and costumes were all beautiful, of course. Mads Mikkelsen was great, as usual. Yeah, I liked it a lot.

Great visuals & acting, but slightly too long for my tastes.

Excellent period drama with superb performances by the three leads. Out of the Foreign Language Oscar nominees, this one would be my pick.

Sometimes it moves way too fast, other times it drags and the overall feel is more hollow than heartfelt. But it's always exquisite and Mikkel Følsgaard makes a great king.

Probably the best looking Danish-produced film targeted at a mainstream audience ever - Arcel, book a one-way ticket to Hollywood. With that said, I for one was never truly turned on by the deadly romance and found most of the scenes without the mad king - and lines like "I declare war on SHIT!" - borderline boring.

Interesting if a bit worn story about the personal stakes and politics of revolution in the 1700s. Well acted and very well shot making it engaging and a beauty to look at. Doesn't really manage to portray the actual social impact of politics outside the royal court. That isn't really the focus of the story but still a crucial context that's left slightly underused. The direction is formulaic but effective.

nisan 12, ist film fest & A Royal Affair, dönem filmlerine en ufak bir katkısı olmayan bir iş. Daha önce perdede görmediğimiz hiçbir şey yok. Filmin belki tek artısı oyunculukları. Zaten Berlin'de en iyi erkek oyuncu ödülü almış. A Royal Affair, Hollywood formül sineması ürünü. Berlin'de yarışmada olmasını ise büyük olasılık yapımcısı olan lars von trier'e borçluydu.

a bit long and drags at times, but excellent cinematography and mad king's wonderful acting makes it a lovely experience... Gabriel Yared's music is simply beautiful...apart from the flashback, the script is very well written

Yes, it's a another romantic period film. But the decision to bring history to the forefront of the story and the thoughtful portrayal of a society on the brink of change brings much needed heft and substance.

Period dramas are usually not for me - except the rare ones beeing as good as Amadeus,- but this one is amazing. Perhaps sometimes dragging a bit, slightly too long, but still amazing.

Enjoyable historical drama with all the necessary elements -great cinematography, costumes and score, well acted and an interesting story.

I watched it in the cinema when it came out and have zero recollection of anything beyond having thought it was decent enough, and, more memorably, going "holy shit" during the scene where Mads Mikkelsen is introduced because the viewpoint character was played by someone I went to high school with.

Did expect it to be that good but there a lot of subtle scenes where you could sense the character's emotions without any speech.

Great acting and directing, but the sluggish pacing doesn't fit the thin story.

Arcel is the only Danish director I trust, and once again he delivers. This film looks amazing for Danish standards and the acting is very good. The script is also great portraying one of the most interesting times in Danish history.

A superb "costume drama" without a sense of "costume"; instead, a gritty period drama about a wasted chance for change in 1700's Denmark. Beatifully acted, wonderful settings, gripping story and a sense of "this is going to go horribly wrong" throughout. The subtle difference in tone here, compared to a British production is hard to put one's finger on, but centres on a sense of reality, scheming and treachery, rather than witty quips and swirling taffeta. Vikander and Følsgaard were mesmerizing

Something that other Danish movies have to my knowledge only yet aspired to be: Historical, emotional and epic without being preachy, boring or literary. Though it does veer a bit on the long site and Mikkelsen regrettably ends up slightly forgettable between the two royal leads, this is still a gem and a beacon for danish cinema. More power to Nikolaj Arcel and his kin.

belo filme

Good production and an especially good turn from Følsgaard but, despite an interesting mix of themes, the inevitability of the story dampened it, left it feeling emotionally one-note.

1060: i love biographies!

?ngiliz, Danimarka, evlilik, kraliçe, kral, otoritesi zayif kral, aydinlanma, kilise, konsey, yetki, çiçek hastaligi, bok kokan sokaklar, alman, doktor, akil sagligi, aldatmak,

One of those true historical tales which are so compelling, it seems impossible that you've never heard them before. Then, as soon as it's done, you go onto Wikipedia, thinking "There's no way that really happened." But yes, it did. Incredibly interesting film.

I liked this movie. It had everything you need from a historical drama. Politics, affairs, intrigue... I thought all the acting was excellent. Folsgaard was great, this is the first movie I've seen him in that wasn't Casino Royale. I was a little mad at the ending until they had the little part where they tell you what happens in the future. So I was dissatisfied with the ending I watched but loved the ending that I read. The length for this is long but it keeps your interest most of the time.

Ist es möglich, dass die junge Königin nicht durch Lust, sondern Idealismus in ihre Affäre getrieben wurde?(...) die ganze Rezension sowie die prächtigsten Kostümfilme der 90er bis heute gibts auf cinegeek.de

Enjoyable take on an interesting part of Denmark's history. While the acting is solid, the film never really takes off and sometimes takes way too long. Still a good film though.

The movie tries to be near to facts, history but lacks practical perspectives. Anyway, a different story.

A Royal Affair is an outstanding historical performance. The actors are amazing and the story is compelling. The scenery shots are beautiful as well.

better than the Oscar nominees.

Suffered, as so many true-story films do, from poor pacing. In trying to tell the whole story, inevitably there are parts that really drag. Shame they didn't take a few liberties to tighten it up, but I guess since it's a Danish film about a significant moment in Danish history, that might not have gone over well. Aside from that, it was well made. The relationships were fleshed out effectively, and it posed some interesting questions about the complications of enacting sweeping reforms.

Kind of drags toward the end.