MSPIFF ’19: The Purity of Vengeance

Department Q was created to clear cold cases, but it has also specialized in airing Denmark’s dirty national laundry. That will be especially true of their latest case, which could also be the last for the current team, if the long-suffering Hafez al-Assad accepts a well-deserved promotion-transfer. However, the investigation will hit pretty close to home for the immigrant detective in Christoffer Boe’s The Purity of Vengeance, which screens during the 2019 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.

Three mummified bodies are discovered behind the false wall of a flat long rented to a nurse with a rather checkered history. As Assad and his boss, Carl Mørck (who has somehow found a way to be even more miserable than usual) start investigating, they discover all three victims and the missing nurse were connected to a controversial home for wayward girls on Sprogø island. Judging from the flashbacks, we can safely assume the murders have something to do with all the wrong done to young Nete, even though she is one of the three bodies posed as part of a gruesome dinner party.

There is not a lot of mystery in Vengeance, because Dr. Curt Wad is quickly served up as the film’s nasty villain. These days, the public knows him as the director of a fertility clinic, but it is conspicuously obvious he still subscribes to all the eugenics theories he practiced while on staff at Sprogø.

Considering how little Mørck and Assad have to figure out, it is rather irresponsible how long they let their investigation drag on. Even though everyone will immediately assume the eugenics doctor is the bad guy, Boe should at least provide a few more suspects, just to make Mørck and Assad look more professional.

Still, the messed-up chemistry shared by the two detectives is quite compelling. Nikolaj Lie Kaas manages to set an all time low for depressed brooding and self-indulgent self-loathing. His commitment as a thesp is impressive, but we still just want to give him a good slap. Fares Fares is charismatic and convincingly conscientious as Assad, while Johanne Louise Schmidt helps keep the film grounded as their faithful, mediating assistant Rose. However, as the unfortunately named Dr. Wad, Anders Hove completely throws subtlety out the window and wears his villainy on his sleeve.

The first three Department Q films steadily improved, with the third, A Conspiracy of Faith being the best and the smartest of the initial trilogy. Unfortunately, the fourth film is a bit of a step down from there. Those of us who have invested our time in the previous trilogy will be happy to revisit the characters, but as a suspenseful crime story, Vengeance is probably the least of the series. It is also most likely the last film featuring the current cast and creatives, because the franchise has moved to a different studio. Frankly, it is probably time for a reboot and a fresh approach.

Still, it is always worth the price of admission to see what new agonizing depths Kaas can reach. Recommended for fans of angsty, existential Scandinavian mysteries, The Purity of Vengeance screens tomorrow (4/7), Thursday (4/11), and Friday (4/19), as part of this year’s MSPIFF.

MSPIFF ’19: The Song of the Tree

This is the first movie musical to be produced by the nation of Kyrgyzstan, but it as archetypal as films get. There are two brothers, one of whom will make a prodigal return. Of course, there are also musical numbers and some striking mountainous vistas in Aibek Daiyrbekov’s The Song of the Tree, which screens during the 2019 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.

Esen is rash and a bit undisciplined, but he is not a bad lad. Unfortunately, Bazarbai, the clan headman, is dead-set against Esen’s romance with his daughter Begimai, even though they are very much in love. Instead, the shallow headman has been deceived into favoring the loutish Oguz, who has often bested Esen through cheating. It gets to be more than the hot-headed brother can stomach, so he tries to elope with Begimai. Unfortunately, Oguz and his lackeys track them down, bringing her back to her father and leaving Esen for dead—but not dead enough.

Alas, Bazarbai’s pride will definitely goeth before his fall. It will be hastened by the desecration of a sacred prayer tree. Initially, Ogun frames Esen’s brother Asan for its destruction and subsequently murders him to cover up his misdeeds. Yet, their livestock continues to die, so the clan banishes Bazarbai and his immediate family. Meanwhile, Esen learns how to fight and control his temper from a wandering warrior.

Like most movie musicals, the course of true love never runs smooth in Song of the Tree, but eventually fate will intervene. Esen will face up to his love and his rival—and sing a few songs. Even though there is a samey consistency of tone throughout the Song of the Tree songbook, these tunes are way more polished than most viewers might expect. Frankly, this film works just as well as a big screen book musical as did The Last Five Years or LesMiserables.

Although Esen is supposed to be our rooting interest, Omurbek Izrailov is upstaged and then blown off the boards by the more intriguing character of Bazarbai and Temirlan Smanbekov’s richer, more complex performance. Zholdoshbek Apasov’s music and Baktygal Choturova’s lyrics definitely exceed expectations. It all sounds quite expansive and heartfelt. Yet, it is cinematographer Akzhol Bkbolotov who really gets to put his stamp on the film, thanks to its wildly cinematic locations and backdrops. It looks and sounds terrific, so we can easily forgive its narrative predictability.

There probably hasn’t been this much singing around horses since the heyday of Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers. It also must have the record all to itself for musical numbers staged in yurts. Yet, it is all pretty universal and largely quite compelling. Recommended for fans of folkloric cinema and nontraditional musicals, The Song of the Tree screens this Sunday (4/7), Monday (4/15), and Tuesday (4/16), as part of this year’s MSPIFF.