After a series of artistic in-depth studies returned Richard Hobert 2011 with the välspelade ”One way to Antibes”. His new film, kostymdramat ”Fågelfångarens son”, is a faroese drama of almost mythic dimensions measured. It unfolds in the end of 1800-century and is built on a legend about fågelfångaren Esmar (Rudi Køhnke).
to protect his lease and his family from the snikne the landowner Såmal forced Esmar accept an arrangement that may wide implications and affects many of his closest – but not quite in the way he (or we) imagined.
Esmar and his wife Johanna have three daughters, but according to the then faroese law can the lease just go from father to son – and it is a son you must now acquire, and it is urgent.
”Fågelfångarens son” Photo: SF
(Livia Millhagen) reads scientific books, and soon finds a way. In the secret to Esmars wife Johanna to go to bed with a man who more or less guarantee (?!) a son – and so it will be now also. Taking Livia’s lover, a frenchman and a sea captain to help.
the Setting and the dramatic beautiful faroese environments is clipped and cut for just this kind of drama, but despite the decent acting at their direction and the edges (Livia Millhagen is, for example, as brilliant as the vibrant and dominant värdshusvärdinnan), so played it a little too often and in the wrong places.
It becomes a tad too much Raskens with squeaky mjölktinor and creaking carts and a real praktfylla as Esmar take and which we ourselves will soon take us to the pan. There are a few too many such småkatastrofer.
the Dialogue is, of course, reflect the rugged landscape, but do not fall always in the right place, reading the sometimes right healthy right out of the script and the characters will have to pass through untouched, if you say so. The younger acting does not work at all.
”Fågelfångarens son” Photo: SF
Richard Hobert got a lot of praise for some of their first movies in the 90’s in the series on the seven deadly sins, ”Glädjekällan” and ”Hands”, but soon, he was considered closest to the hopelessly pretentious in his filmmaking and he became something of a punching bag. Hobert traveled since then, at nine, much thanks to Sven-Bertil Taube fantastic wager in the ”A simple to Antibes – now is Hobert eight years later and back without having to directly shine, but with one in the bottom exciting story about courage, morality, and justice.
This over 100 year old legend should be able to be bottoming out also in our time – but never makes it really seriously. Richard Hobert may, admittedly, tell you stories, but is still hampered a bit too much of their too solemn pretensions.
See more: Three other movies, Livia Millhagen: ”Miffo” (2003), ”Bus to Italy” (2005), the short film ”Cupcake” (2015).
