PER FLY

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB.5

Original title:  Drabet

Denmark/Norway/Sweden/United Kingdom, 2005.  Zentropa Entertainments, Spillefilmkompaniet 4 1/2, Memfis Film, Manslaughter, Sigma Films, TV2 Danmark, Fjellape Film AS, Trollhattan Film AB, Zoma Films Ltd., Det Danske Filminstitut, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Norsk Filmfond, Svenska Filminstitutet.  Screenplay by Per Fly, Kim Leona, Mogens Rukov, Dorthe Warno Hogh.  Cinematography by Harald Gunnar Paalgard.  Produced by Ib Tardini.  Music by Halfdan E.  Production Design by Soren Gam.  Costume Design by Louize Nissen.  Film Editing by Morten Giese.  

University professor Jesper Christensen finds himself in a lot of hot water when the student with whom he has been carrying on an affair gets herself arrested for manslaughter. She and a couple of her political activist classmates raid a weapons manufacturing plant as a protest against warfare, but don’t count on there being a security guard to block their big getaway. They run him over and leave him for dead, and are devastated when they discover that he was killed in the accident and that they now face murder charges. Christensen is hauled in by the cops when they discover his connection to one of the perpetrators, and he decides to work on her case in her defence despite the cost to his marriage to his longtime wife (Pernilla August). It’s a wonderful setup for a juicy drama, but Per Fly’s dry direction and uninteresting characters make it quite a chore to sit through; the sparks that should fly never manage to ignite.