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Release Date: May 9th, 2007 (Two Boots Pioneer Theater) by International Film Circuit. The Cast: Ulrich Thomsen, Helena Christensen, Henning Moritzen, Svetoslav Korolev, Niels Skousen, Nicolas Bro, Ellen Millingso. Directed by Christoffer Boe. In Danish with subtitles. BASIC PREMISE: Zetterstrom (Thomsen), a renown Danish pianist who strives for perfection, returns to Copenhagen, where a prohibited area The Zone takes away his memories of his ex-girlfriend, Andrea (Christensen) and as well as his musical talent. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Allegro combines science fiction, mystery and romance in an unconventional, yet oddly refreshing way. Zetterstrom spends ten years in America after his girlfriend, Andrea, breaks up with him in Copenhagen. The plot essentially becomes interesting when Tom (Moritzen) invites him back to Copenhagen to play in a concert. Upon his arrival, Tom claims that Andrea is trapped in a prohibited area called The Zone, but Zetterstrom has lost most of his memories of her. It turns out that he will lose much more than his memory as he manages to enter The Zone to save the love of his life. Co-writer/director Christopher Boe weaves this bizarre plot with plenty of mystery, symbolism and surrealism like in the somewhat similar Dark City and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, yet there’s not enough imagination when it comes to The Zone itself. The concept of The Zone certainly feels intriguing, but only at first. Boe should have included more scenes with Zetterstrom and Andrea in the first act. Therefore, Zetterstrom’s quest to find her in the second act would actually feel more riveting rather than slightly dull. Given that you already know precisely what Zetterstrom must find, the second act also seems tedious as you watch him try to find Andrea and get his talent back. More character development would have helped. Ulrich Thomsen gives a decent performance as Zetterstrom, but Helena Christensen as Andrea merely gives a mediocre one that doesn’t stand out. The stylish cinematography, intricate set design along with the musical score creates a surreal, hypnotic atmosphere, very much like in Christopher Boe’s directorial debut, Reconstruction. SPIRITUAL VALUE: The underlying message is that it’s important to remember the past and face your regrets no matter what. Even if you think you have completely forgotten your past, it will come back to haunt you in an unexpected way and, therefore, humanize you by allowing you to express many kinds of emotions. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Weak character development and lack of details about The Zone. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 3 IN A NUTSHELL: Intriguing, unconventional and oddly refreshing with stylish visuals, but not imaginative, suspenseful or absorbing enough. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: DVD Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu The "A" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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