Bleeder (1999)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Great Film overall

A Masterpiece!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Leo and Louise are a young couple living together in Copenhagen. Leo often goes out with his friends while Louise usually stays home. But when Louise tells Leo she's pregnant, a spark is ignited and Leo begins to become cold and distant. His anger and self-hatred finally erupt into violence against Louise (plot).Nicolas Winding Refn, the genius behind many good films like "Pusher" and lately the best film in 2011 "Drive" write and direct fine film and present this in tow parts First in Leo character and his problem with his wife, Scend in Lenny character and how the filmgeek turn to a normal guy with girls.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.The film was great and worth watching, i love everything in this film the conversation between the characters was great especially when they talk about films, the bloody scene well made by the staff .. and the last few seconds when the light off in the restaurant Lenny & Lea staring each other!.4/5

Nicolas Winding Refn, the genius behind the excellent "Pusher" sets new standards for danish movies with his new opus "Bleeder". Leo, played by the magnificent actor Kim Bodnia, is gradually going insane as his wife gets pregnant. He feels his life fade away and asks himself how he can put a child into a world that's raw and how they can afford to have one.The atmosphere is two parts Scorcese's "Taxi Driver" and one part Franz Kafka's "Der Prozess", not very moody in other words. A sub-story about Leo's buddy searching for a girl relieves the pressure a bit, which is for the better as it also adds depth to the movie. The violence feels very realistic and is sometimes even hard to watch, it's like it all is happening for real. The realistic approach makes this movie feel fresh and not like something you've seen before. After I saw this movie I was left with an uneasy feeling in my stomach and I knew I've seen something very rear and very good.Nicolas Winding Refn is worth the highest of praise for making a movie like this. It's just what European moviemaking needs.9/10

As much as I enjoyed the super-hyped Dogma movies 'Festen', and 'Mifune', going by 'Bleeder' the real Danish director to watch is Nicolas Refn. He's an exciting talent, and will probably give Lars Von Trier a run for his money in a few films time. 'Bleeder' features a superb performance from Kim Bodnia ('Nattevagten'). He plays Leo, a guy who on the surface seems pretty normal, but who begins to crack up after his girlfriend Louise (Rikke Louise Andersson) unexpectedly announces her pregnancy, and he witnesses a shooting. This begins a descent into a living hell. The movie's bleak and depressing world view is balanced by the bittersweet sub-plot concerning video nerd Lenny (Mads Mikkelsen), and his attempt to "get a life". The scenes showing Lenny working in a to-die-for video store will make most film buffs drool! Lenny rattles off the stores inventory in a funny scene, and the movie is full of film talk from Lindsay Anderson to Fred Williamson, and even includes clips from William Lustig's exploitation classics 'Maniac' and 'Vigilante'. Refn definitely knows his stuff! 'Bleeder' is a powerful and unforgettable movie comparable to the films of Gaspar Noe ('I Stand Alone', 'Irreversible') and Gary Oldman's 'Nil by Mouth'. Depressing yes, but highly recommended viewing.

While visiting in London, I watched Bleeder. I liked it a lot. Haven't seen any other Danish films, but this one is great. One of the other people commenting here said it was made on a low budget. I certainly wouldn't say it showed heavily. There's no real expensive shots (crowd scenes, explosions, etc), but everything is shot to scale and looks good. Especially the cinematography. This and the acting are perhaps the strongest elements of the film. I kept watching how they had framed each shot and how they would do those angles where one person is in the forground facing the camera with an expression on their face while the other person is off in the background waiting for the foreground person to turn back around. Great! I hope this movie gets distributed in the US.