just watch it!

Just perfect...

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I probably would never have heard about this Danish film if it weren't for its inclusion in the nominations at the Oscars, I was hoping it would be a good one. Basically company commander Claus Michael Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk) and his men are stationed in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. Meanwhile back in Denmark, Claus' wife Maria (Tuva Novotny) is trying to hold everyday life together, with a husband at war and three children missing their father. The soldiers are caught in heavy crossfire during a routine mission, without proper Intel, Claus makes the decision to call in an airstrike to save his men. Claus is sent back home following this mission, and charged foe killing eleven men by the airstrike, the grave consequences of these accusations cause him and his family to be shaken. Claus explains in court that this decision was a critical requirement while they were under attack, one of the men defending Claus gives a false statement, meaning he is acquitted by the judge and co-committee based on the evidence, Claus is allowed to stay with his wife and kids. Also starring Søren Malling as Martin R. Olsen, Dar Salim as Najib Bisma, Charlotte Munck as Lisbeth Danning, Dulfi Al-Jabouri as Lutfi "Lasse" Hassan and Alex Høgh Andersen as Anders. It is a simple story of a military troop fighting the Taliban and protecting civilians, and the commander accused of committing a war crime, I will be honest and say that having to read subtitles at the same time as the action, I lost my way a few times, but overall I know it was an interesting enough war drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. Worth watching, in my opinion!

Greetings again from the darkness. Distinguishing between right and wrong has always been pretty easy for me, which probably explains my fascination when a good book or movie presents a decision weighted by moral ambiguity … especially one involving life and death. Such is the case with writer/director Tobias Lindholm's (A Hijacking, 2012) latest, which has been Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Language Film (Denmark). It's tension-filled and overflowing with moments that will make you question yourself and your beliefs.Three parts make up the whole, and each segment brings its own pressures and is presented with its own camera technique. We see Commander Claus Pederson (Pilou Asbaek) leading his squad of Danish soldiers in their Afghan peace-keeping missions. The film bounces between these boots on the ground and Pederson's wife (Tuva Novotny) back at home in Denmark trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for their three kids. The final act is a tense courtroom drama that will undoubtedly mess with your head.Mr. Asbaek ("Game of Thrones" and the upcoming Ben-Hur remake) is spell-binding as Commander Pederson. When a land mine causes the loss of one of his men, Pederson proves that he is no desk-jockey, but rather a leader by example. He has a calm presence that inspires his men, though his fearless approach is quietly questioned by some. His in-the-heat-of-the-moment decision with his squad under fire saves the life of an injured soldier, while also resulting in a tragedy that could affect his military career, his family life, and his freedom.It's interesting to see how director Lindholm parallels the struggles of Mr. and Mrs. Pederson … albeit in different worlds. The personal and emotional challenges are everywhere and affect everyone. The 3 kids miss their father and struggle in their own ways with their new world. The wife misses her husband and battles to keep the kids in line. The husband misses his wife and their closeness. He also misses the little joys that come with being a (present) father. The soldiers struggle with their orders to patrol a community that doesn't seem to want them. Even the community struggles with the constant threat of danger.Commander Pederson's fateful decision is the focus of the courtroom drama. The dilemma faced by him and his men is truly a no-win situation. His job was to protect his men while also protecting the citizens of the community. It's a judgment call in the heat of the moment. Either decision would be right and either decision would be wrong. The issue on trial is so complex that it's very likely the desired verdict would be split among those in the theatre. When Pederson's wife tells him "It's not what you did that matters. It's what you do now." We certainly understand her, but do we agree? Is it possible to judge a war crime when lives are in immediate danger? What would you do? Unless you've been in those boots, it's impossible to know. The best intentions can be eclipsed by a will to live and quest to save those for whom you are responsible. Is lying ever OK, and if so, what is the fallout? How does it impact you, those you love, and those whose respect you have earned? This is an exceptionally well made movie with a script that constantly has us questioning our morals. while providing no easy answers.

Over the last decade, we've come to expect a lot from the Danes when it comes to making movies. This film, too, shows a lot of promise: its writer and director Tobias Lindholm also wrote the scripts for the fantastic Kapringen and the utterly haunting Jagten. Its lead actor Pilou Asbæk shined in R, Kapringen and Borgen. Does this talent show again in Krigen? Yes, it does.It certainly does. The film excellently portrays the atrocities of warfare in Afghanistan through the eyes of company commander Pedersen (Asbæk), who is confronted with questions and decisions only soldiers have to deal with. Issues of survival, of morality, of death and life come to the fore in a film that shows nothing in war is black and white. Why decide so-and-so? Why did such-and-such happen in this or that way? Could it have been altered? Could lives have been saved? Did I do the job I signed up for, or more, or less? The ways in which such issues haunt soldiers, their commanders, their families and even the Afghan locals, form the basis of this important film. Lindholm refrains from falling into the pitfalls of making a typical gung-ho war film, or copying any of the thousands of battlefield depictions already produced. He produced a motion picture that will certainly stand the test of time because it is as much about the human condition on the battle- and home fronts, as it is about the fighting itself. The cinematography is great, the sound is very decent and the plot ultimately leaves you with the same ambiguous feeling that many of the soldiers depicted will undoubtedly have. Krigen is a solid film that does not blemish the Danish film industry's good reputation, and is certainly a serious contender for this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture.

This is a movie about a squad commander who makes a mistake. At least that's what his superiors say. He himself doesn't think so. Neither do his troops. But nevertheless he, a loving husband and a father of two children, is dragged to court and faces jail time if convicted. He doesn't want to lie or make excuses as he feels he has done nothing wrong...but he also doesn't want to go to jail.It is a very confident effort by the director Tobias Lindholm from start to finish. There are no heroes and no villains, simply circumstances which force men to make snap decisions when their life is being threatened. The best movie yet done about the war in Afghanistan in my opinion. And would make it to my top 5 list of war movies overall.