''Silent Heart'' ( da, Stille hjerte, Quiet heart) is a 2014 Danish

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Bille August Bille August (born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television. In a career spanning over four decades, he has been the recipient of numerous accolades, making him one of the most acclaimed co ...

, and starring

Ghita Nørby Ghita Nørby (born 11 January 1935) is a Danish actress with 117 film credits to her name from 1956 to 2005, making her one of the most active Danish actresses ever. Early life Nørby was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the daughter of opera sing ...

Morten Grunwald Walter Morten Grunwald (9 December 1934 – 14 November 2018) was a Danish actor, stage director and theatre manager. Early life and education He was born in Odense, Denmark, attended Odense Theatrical School in 1958, and graduated from the Roya ...

Paprika Steen Kirstine "Paprika" Steen (born 3 November 1964) is a Danish actress and director best known for her performances in Dogme 95 films '' Festen'', '' The Idiots'', Mifune, and '' Open Hearts''. Steen was the first Danish actress since Karin Nellem ...

, and

Jens Albinus Jens Albinus (born 3 January 1965 in Bogense) is a Danish actor and director.''Usikker på indersiden. Interview: Jens Albinus'' Jyllands-Posten, 16 December 2005, Must, Side 28 Selected filmography * ''Anton'' (1996) – as Lærer, a teacher ...

. The film was nominated for the 2015

Nordic Council Film Prize The Nordic Council Film Prize is an annual film prize administered by the Nordic Council The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 repre ...

Plot

A family of three generations gather over a weekend to say goodbye to Esther who suffers from an incurable disease,

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...

, and with the help of her husband Poul has chosen to pursue

euthanasia Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eut ...

when the weekend is over. But as the end approaches, the mother's decision becomes more and more difficult to handle for the daughters Heidi and Sanne, and old conflicts come to the surface.

Cast

as Esther *

as Poul *

as Heidi * Danica Curcic as Sanne *

as Michael * Pilou Asbæk as Dennis * as Lisbeth * Oskar Sælan Halskov as Jonathan

Themes

The topic of August's film is euthanasia. The film is a family drama about three generations coming together over a weekend to say goodbye to their wife, mother, mother in law, grandmother and friend.

Release

The film premièred 20 September 2014 at the

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in ...

where it received a 20 minutes

standing ovation A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus ...

. It was released theatrically in Denmark 13 November 2014.

Reception

Film critic Morten Piil in ' gave the film 5 out of 6 stars and wrote: "All in all, Silent Heart is Bille August's most complete film since ''

The Best Intentions ''The Best Intentions'' ( sv, Den goda viljan) is a 1992 Swedish drama film directed by Bille August and written by Ingmar Bergman. It is semi-autobiographical, telling the story of the complex relationship between Bergman's parents, Erik Berg ...

''." Jonathan Holland for ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' wrote positively from San Sebastián that "After the disappointing ''

Night Train to Lisbon ''Night Train to Lisbon'' is a philosophical novel by Swiss writer Pascal Mercier. It recounts the travels of Swiss Classics instructor Raimund Gregorius as he explores the life of Amadeu de Prado, a Portuguese doctor, during António de Olive ...

'', ''Heart'' signals a return to form for the former Oscar-winner Bille August, who here explores with practised ease and an alertness the emotional truth of the dynamics of an ordinarily neurotic family in an extraordinary situation. Accessible without being easy, and played to perfection by a superbly directed cast, ''Heart'' looks set to beat at festivals and in the European arthouse." Jay Weissberg for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' on the other hand wrote that "Silent Heart is a standard-issue tearjerker about a dying matriarch gathering her family around on the weekend she plans to off herself. The only surprise is when the script goes from merely stereotyped to spectacularly silly with a late revelation that would feel idiotic even in a farfetched 1940s meller."

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silent Heart 2014 drama films 2014 films Danish drama films 2010s Danish-language films Films about diseases Films about suicide Films about euthanasia Films about families Films directed by Bille August Films shot in Denmark