An Interesting Guy (Dirch)

A Koncern Film and Nordisk Film Push. presentation of the Rieks/Zandvliet/August production. (Worldwide sales: LevelK, Copenhagen.) Created by Mikael Christian Rieks. Executive producers, Jens Ulrik Pedersen, Rieks, Lena Haugaard, Henrik Zein. Directed by Martin P. Zandvliet. Script, Zandvliet, Anders August.With: Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Ranthe, Lars Brygmann, Morten Kirskov, Malou Leth Reymann, Silja Eriksen Jensen, Frederikke Cecilie Bertelsen, Laura Christensen, Martin Buch, Laura Bro.Substantially less interesting than 2009's "Applause," director/co-scenarist Martin P. Zandvliet's sophomore narrative feature, "An Interesting Guy," charts the existence of greatly popular late Danish comedian Dirch Hartvig Passer. Outcome is handsomely created and well behaved, especially by lead Nikolaj Lie Kaas ("Siblings," "Angels and Devils"), but never handles the type of mental insight that may transcend its portrait-of-a-tortured-artist cliches. Pic is not prone to make a bigscreen impact beyond areas where its subject is famous and appreciated. Whenever we first meet Dirch within the late nineteen fifties, he's already a large hit as you 1 / 2 of a comedy team with best friend Kjeld Petersen (Lars Ranthe) -- and already fully neurotic about this, putting us in an immediate downside to focusing on how the 2 grew to become so effective, or why Passer am insecure about his talent. By comparison, Kjeld is brash and confident, though chagrined because his partner is unquestionably the public's favorite. Kjeld also offers a consuming problem that eventually forces an finish for their professional union, one elevated just briefly when he's at death's door in 1962. (His health issues and Dirch's later ones are extremely sketchily attracted that certain must assume "An Interesting Guy" is made mainly for auds who know the comedians' existence tales thoroughly.) Within the interim and after, Dirch chases a solo career, jonesing to become appreciated like a serious actor but pigeonholed like a comic. Among the pic's couple of fully developed dramatic arcs is his determination to experience tragic simpleton Lenny within the play of John Steinbeck's "Of Rodents and Males." However when that dream reaches last recognized, audiences assume from his presence it's supposed to have been a laff riot. Protag's struggles with public image, tricky handlers, alcohol, self-esteem and mental health, as well as his several unsuccessful marital associations and erratic paternal ones, are sputteringly described inside a script (by Zandvliet and Anders August) whose episodic progress never connects right into a coherent whole as well as spans a obvious timeline. (When Kaas all of a sudden sports old-age makeup within the late going, we now have no clue the number of decades have passed by, or how Dirch has spent them.) Among a general strong cast, toplining thesp is definitely absorbing to look at, recommending difficulties of character the writing can't or will not flesh out. It isn't his fault that (a minimum of for audiences not really acquainted with Passer's work) the reconstructions of beloved programs fall flat. Evidence here indicate that, like such American contemporaries as Sid Ceasar, Milton Berle and Jackie Gleason, Dirch possessed a type of comic genius that merely is not in synch with this style of humor today. Glossy widescreen pic offers lots of colorful period trappings, assigned by an "Everything Jazz"-style production number melding biographical summary and showbiz fantasy. Regrettably, like a lot here, that splashy finale looks and sounds good without truly revealing anything concerning the figure carrying out at its center.Camera (color, widescreen), Jesper Toffner Rasmussen editor, Per Sandholdt music, Sune Martin music supervisor, Jeppe Kaas production designers, Charlotte now Bay Garnov, Peter Grant costume designer, Stine Gudmundsen-Holmgren seem (Dolby Digital), Johannes Elling Dam assistant company directors, Anders Barlebo, Mette Kjaergaard casting, Gro Metha Therp, Ditte Kiel. Examined at Toronto Film Festival (Contemporary World Cinema), Sept. 11, 2011. Running time: 109 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com