I really wanted to like 'Bleeder' – a Danish thriller with a young Mads Mikkelsen and The Bridge's Kim Bodnia. It started off well – it introduced us to four men who hung around together with a mutual love of films. This led to some nice dialogue exchanges which built character and created a genuine atmosphere among them. However, the best thing about the build up was the sense that something not very nice was brewing and it was all going to explode sooner or later. Unfortunately, it all exploded later rather than sooner.Yes, there were a couple of pretty horribly dark moments towards the end of the film, but we're talking VERY near the end of the film. Therefore, by the time you've got the pay-off you've been waiting for it's all over.Now, I can hear the fans of the movie claiming that I hate films with slow build up that focus on character development and that the only movies I watch involve car chases and over-used CGI. That's not true. I have nothing against slower non-Hollywood output. In fact, I prefer them to constant Michael Bay-style offerings. It's just in this case I felt everything that was good (and there was a lot of good) just seemed not enough when it came to the minuscule moments of 'pay offs.' I just sat there through one long drawn out dialogue scene after the next waiting for something that, when it did finally come, seemed like too little too late.There's also a romantic sub-plot that seems to be have been crowbarred in. And, finally, there's Mikkelsen himself. When it was all over I realised that his character (despite being one quarter of the film's protagonists) could probably have been omitted all together.Bleeder is a good film. There's too much right with it to condemn it all together. It will definitely have an audience, but just don't expect wall-to-wall fight scenes or explosions. It's the very definition of a 'slow burner.'

When Nicolas Winding Refn gets Zlatko Buric, Mads Mikkelsen and Kim Bodnia together a good movie is a must. Please, disregard narrow IMDb genre classification of the film as "Horror" or "Thriller" as it is the way the movie looks to some five year old child who has not understood anything seen. This art work is a modern life drama colored by David Lynch camera and portrayed by spirit of Bunuel. Excellent art work by well known Danish film school. I said "modern" drama since the movie is getting into the core of the present social structure of the modern world. It shows a depressive slice of our little lives that are being cultivated in silence of violence, loneliness, alienation and lost life course, leading to self-destruction. Dark as our presence. One more good job for Nicolas Winding Refn.

I don't know where to start with this film. Pusher in my opinion is one of the greatest gangster films of all time, superbly shot with incredible performances, a fantastic storyline and most of all completely realistic. So it would suffice to say that Refn's second film should be just as good if not better, how can you top Pusher? Well the simple answer is you cant and Refn hasn't even tried. He's gone for the more subtle approach and seems to have worked backwards by creating this very slow arty piece. What i think he has done is pay his respects to all of his favourite films without paying homage to any of them. I think he's tried to highlight peoples outlets. We have Lenny the quiet video store clerk who watches 4 films a day all of which are graphically violent and thats it, his life is film, Im guessing this is a reference to a traits of Refn's own character but then we move on to how these things can affect you with Leo's character, he has no outlet, the guys meet up once a week for film night and don't talk, Leo doesn't really understand film and why things are the way that they, he is growing increasingly disappointed witn his life and decides to buy a gun, he doesn't even know why - he needs an outlet. Lea's character is very similar to Lennys except her medium are books, graphic books. There are some very nice shots of the video store and the book shop, a persons collection of fiction endlessly spanning into infinity.Whilst watching i put the slow pace and intense snappy diologue down to character build up and that when we finally see the violent revenge it would make me care even more for the characters, this was not the case. leo wakes up in a factory and instead of Louis beaten him up or torturing him they decide to inject him with HIV+ blood, this is the only refernec i can see to the title 'Bleeder'. Yes its horrible and wrong but hardly a climax, there was no build up, no suspense, no impending doom and what a ridiculous way to exact revenge on someone, its hardly quick. Leo is obviously going to get his own back and he does... wow sigh.So, the acting is good, the cinematography is great, the storyline is boring, the diologue is boring, the end is boring. You don't feel any different from beginning to end after watching it, so whats the point? because he could.There is no explanation the only thing i can say is don't expect it to be anything like pusher.

So I travel from Sweden to Copenhagen to see a movie, paying about 15 bucks for the trip, and another 10 for the movie. 25 bucks for a movie???? Was it worth it????Damn right it was, this is Nicholas Winding Refn´s second feature, and after his masterful debut: Pusher I really had my hopes up. And boy was it good.The tempo is a little slower than Pusher, but it really suits the movie. It´s got great dialogue that kinda reminded me of Clerks in some places, especially the scenes in the videostore. The theme of the movie in my mind is about men, and our problems with talking to each other and to women. Sure there are scenes with really disturbing and realistic violence. But I feel it has more in common with John Cassavettes, than Abel Ferrara and Martin Scorsese that I think were refn inspirations for Pusher.The actors are brilliant all around, especially Mads Mikkelsen who does a fantastic performance as a filmgeek, with major problems when it comes to talking and being around girls. And Kim Bodnia gives a really introspective performance that proves his status as one of europe´s if not the whole worlds best actors.All in all a very powerful, and intense movie that is a must see