Teddy Bear (2012 film)

Last updated

Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear (2012 film) POSTER.jpg
Film poster
Directed byMads Matthiesen
Screenplay by
Produced byMorten Kjems Juhl
Starring
CinematographyLaust Trier Mørk
Edited byAdam Nielsen
Music bySune Martin
Production
companies
  • SF Film
  • Beofilm
  • Tonemestrene Studio
  • Minerva Film
Distributed bySF Studios Danmark
Release dates
  • 22 January 2012 (2012-01-22)(Sundance)
  • 26 January 2012 (2012-01-26)(Denmark)
Running time
93 minutes [1]
CountryDenmark
Languages
  • Danish
  • English
  • Thai

Teddy Bear is a 2012 Danish romantic drama film directed by Mads Matthiesen, who co-wrote it with Martin Zandvliet. It stars Kim Kold as a painfully shy bodybuilder in his late 30s who, after failing to find love in his native Denmark, travels to Thailand at the suggestion of his uncle to find love and escape from his overbearing mother. [1]

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2012, where Matthiesen won the World Cinema Directing Award (Dramatic). Four days later, SF Studios gave the film a theatrical release as 10 timer til Paradis (10 Hours to Paradise) in Denmark. It was nominated for the Robert Award for Best Danish Film and the Robert Audience Award. Matthiesen was also nominated for the European Film Award for European Discovery of the Year.

Plot

A 38-eight-year-old Danish bodybuilder named Dennis has never had a girlfriend, despite his impressive physique and likeable personality. He lives with his elderly mother Ingrid, who is possessive of him, in a small town near Copenhagen. Upon arriving home from a date that went wrong, Dennis is questioned by Ingrid on his whereabouts, and tells her that he went to the cinema. Dennis feels even more hopeless about his situation when he discovers that his uncle Bent has married a young Thai woman.

Bent believes that Dennis will have a better chance of finding love abroad and arranges for him to fly to Thailand, with Dennis telling Ingrid that he is going to Germany to compete in a bodybuilding competition. Although the culture shock he experiences in Thailand is daunting, Dennis feels more comfortable after meeting Scott, the middle-aged American man who introduced Bent to his wife. Scott offers to arrange a blind date for Dennis, boosting his confidence, but Dennis later feels uneasy when it becomes apparent that the bar in which the date is to take place is frequented by older men seeking prostitutes employed by Scott. Despite his reservations, Dennis takes one of the prostitutes back to his hotel room, but the artificial nature of the situation makes him hesitant and he rejects her advances.

The next morning, Dennis attends a local gym, where a gymgoer named Prap recognizes him from his bodybuilding career. Dennis notices that his shyness and social ineptitude vanish when he discusses his passion for bodybuilding, and Prap introduces him to Toi, the Thai woman who owns the gym. Though he has more in common with this group of people, Dennis goes back for a second round at the bar and ends up leaving when another prostitute talks to him. He joins Prap and his friends for dinner, where a conversation with Toi sparks an attraction. A day of fun and sightseeing builds up to an evening visit to Toi's apartment, where the two kiss passionately, but Dennis' shyness resurfaces and he abruptly leaves. Realizing that Toi is the only woman with whom he has ever felt a connection, he returns to her apartment, where they embrace and fall asleep in each other's arms without having sex.

With plans for the future, Dennis goes back to Denmark. Unable to lie anymore, he eventually tells Ingrid everything, but she accuses him of being a sex tourist and forbids him from seeing Toi again. He agrees, but secretly arranges for Toi to come to Denmark permanently. He avoids introducing Toi to Ingrid and tells her that the time he spends with his mother is due to her recovering from a heart condition, not because he lives with her, but the charade falls apart when Dennis and Toi happen to cross paths with Ingrid at a shopping mall. Intent on calming Ingrid down, Dennis comes home to find her sitting at the table with an injured hand. He goes to his room, finds its contents destroyed, and silently cries. In the aftermath, it is revealed that Ingrid's insecurities stem from Dennis' alcoholic father leaving her before Dennis was born. Her attempts to play the victim fail as Dennis is now too determined to become independent, so he packs his belongings and kisses her goodbye before getting into a car with Toi, with whom he exchanges a loving look while they drive to their new home.

Cast

Production

Teddy Bear was Matthiesen's first feature-length film; it was inspired by his 2007 short film Dennis, which also starred Kold, and was also co-written with Zandvliet. Director Frank Corsaro, after seeing the short film, encouraged Matthiesen to turn it into a full-length film. [2] Matthiesen decided to cast mostly non-actors in the film, in order to give the film as realistic a tone as possible. Kold himself had been a non-actor when Matthiesen cast him in Dennis, although since then he appeared in other films and television shows. [2]

Release

Teddy Bear premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 28th Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2012. [3] [4] [5] [6] It was released in Denmark on 26 January 2012. [7] Film Movement acquired North American distribution rights to the film, and gave it a limited release in the United States on 22 August 2012. [8]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 94% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [10]

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote, "It's only to say that the movie's no-frills realism derives from common aesthetic strategies like hand-held cinematography and nonprofessional acting." Dargis also opined, "Although there are times when this world of tight smiles, monstrous maternity and hovering camerawork can feel too familiar, Mr. Matthiesen has a way of consistently and gently upending expectations, sometimes with humor." [11] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter stated, "Teddy Bear is not the most substantial film, but it has a restrained charm and an emotional payoff in keeping with its prevailing understatement." [12] Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film a B+ rating and commented, "Teddy Bear has a unique strategy for rejuvenating the formula." [13] Dennis Harvey of Variety noted, "The low-key drama is well crafted and likable as far as it goes, but there's not enough narrative impetus or depth to maintain more than passing viewer interest." Harvey also remarked, "Kold is an imposing physical presence — literally heightened by the casting of much shorter actors opposite him — albeit not yet an actor expressive enough to fill the script's hazy psychological gaps by himself." [14]

Awards and nominations

Matthiesen won the directing award in the category "World Cinema - Dramatic" for Teddy Bear at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. [15] The film was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the same category at the Sundance Festival. [16] It was nominated for the Robert Award for Best Danish Film and the Robert Audience Award. Matthiesen was also nominated for the European Film Award for European Discovery of the Year.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margrethe II</span> Queen of Denmark from 1972 to 2024

Margrethe II is a member of the Danish royal family who reigned as Queen of Denmark from 14 January 1972 until her abdication on 14 January 2024. Having reigned for exactly 52 years, she was the second-longest reigning Danish monarch after Christian IV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike White (filmmaker)</span> American actor, writer and producer (born 1970)

Michael Christopher White is an American writer, actor, and producer for television and film. He has won numerous awards, including the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award for the 2000 film Chuck & Buck, which he wrote and starred in. He has written the screenplays for films such as School of Rock (2003) and has directed several films that he has written, such as Brad's Status (2017). He was a co-creator, executive producer, writer, director, and actor on the HBO series Enlightened. White is also known for his appearances on reality television, competing on two seasons of The Amazing Race and later becoming a contestant and runner-up on Survivor: David vs. Goliath. He created, writes, and directs the ongoing HBO satire comedy anthology series The White Lotus, for which he has won three Primetime Emmy Awards.

<i>Memento</i> (film) 2000 film by Christopher Nolan

Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir mystery psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the short story "Memento Mori" by his brother Jonathan Nolan, which was later published in 2001. Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jorja Fox and Joe Pantoliano, the film follows Leonard Shelby (Pearce), a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia—resulting in short-term memory loss and the inability to form new memories—who uses an elaborate system of photographs, handwritten notes, and tattoos in an attempt to uncover the perpetrator who killed his wife and caused him to sustain the condition.

<i>The Three Stooges</i> (2012 film) Film by Bobby and Peter Farrelly

The Three Stooges is a 2012 American slapstick comedy film based on the 1934–59 film shorts starring the comedy trio of the same name. It was produced, written and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by Mike Cerrone. It stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso, re-creating the eponymous characters played by Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keegan DeWitt</span> American musician

Keegan DeWitt is an American film composer, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was raised in Oregon and now resides in Los Angeles. He is the lead singer of the indie rock band Wild Cub, as well as a composer for film scores.

<i>The Vicious Kind</i> 2009 film by Lee Toland Krieger

The Vicious Kind is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Lee Toland Krieger. It stars Adam Scott, Brittany Snow, Alex Frost, and J. K. Simmons. It follows a misanthropic man who tries to warn his brother away from the new girlfriend he brings home during Thanksgiving, but ends up becoming infatuated with her in the process.

<i>Flame & Citron</i> 2008 film

Flame & Citron is a 2008 historical drama film co-written and directed by the Danish director Ole Christian Madsen. The film, a fictionalized account based on historical events, stars Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen as two Danish resistance movement fighters nicknamed Flammen and Citronen, during the Nazi occupation of Denmark in World War II. Attracted by the story of the pair since he was twelve, Madsen spent eight years along with co-writer Lars K. Andersen researching historical archives to produce it.

Events from the year 2012 in the Denmark.

<i>A Royal Affair</i> 2012 film

A Royal Affair is a 2012 drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel, starring Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander and Mikkel Følsgaard. The story is set in the 18th century, at the court of the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark, and focuses on the romance between his wife, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, and the royal physician Johann Friedrich Struensee.

<i>Keep the Lights On</i> 2012 American drama film

Keep the Lights On is a 2012 American drama film written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias and directed by Sachs. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and was released on September 7, 2012 by Music Box Films. The film stars Thure Lindhardt as Erik, a Danish filmmaker living in New York City to work on a documentary film about artist Avery Willard; while there, he enters into a loving but complicated long-term relationship with Paul, a lawyer in the publishing industry who struggles with drug addiction. The film's cast also includes Julianne Nicholson, Souléymane Sy Savané, Paprika Steen, David Anzuelo, Maria Dizzia, and Miguel Del Toro.

<i>Searching for Sugar Man</i> 2012 film by Malik Bendjelloul

Searching for Sugar Man is a 2012 documentary film about a South African cultural phenomenon, written and directed by Malik Bendjelloul, which details the efforts in the late 1990s of two Cape Town fans, Stephen "Sugar" Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, to find out whether the rumoured death of American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true and, if not, to discover what had become of him. Rodriguez's music, which had never achieved success in his home country of the United States, had become very popular in South Africa, although little was known about him there.

Kim Kold is a Danish actor and former professional bodybuilder. Standing 6'4" tall and weighing 320 lbs (155 kg), he is primarily known for his role as Owen Shaw's crew member Klaus in Fast & Furious 6.

The 66th Bodil Awards were held on 16 March 2013 in the Bremen Theater in Copenhagen, Denmark, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2012. A Hijacking won the award for Best Danish Film. Generally the awards were distributed among many films this year.

<i>Ingrid Goes West</i> 2017 American film

Ingrid Goes West is a 2017 American black comedy drama film directed by Matt Spicer and written by Spicer and David Branson Smith. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, Billy Magnussen, Wyatt Russell, Pom Klementieff, and O'Shea Jackson Jr., and follows a young woman who moves to Los Angeles in an effort to befriend her Instagram idol.

<i>Brigsby Bear</i> 2017 film by Dave McCary

Brigsby Bear is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Dave McCary in his feature directorial debut, written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney, and starring Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, Matt Walsh, and Michaela Watkins. It tells the story of a captive man raised in a bunker since he was a baby, where he obsessed over a children's television program titled Brigsby Bear, being rescued by the authorities. When he realizes Brigsby Bear was created by his captor that he called his dad, his fascination leads him to finish the storyline himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck</span> American filmmaking duo

Anna Boden and Ryan K. Fleck are an American filmmaking duo. The duo rose to prominence for their work on the 2004 short film Gowanus, Brooklyn, which earned the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. They went on to collaborate on the Academy Award-nominated film Half Nelson. Their film Sugar (2008) was honored as one of the Top 10 for 2009 at the American Film Institute Awards; and one of the Top Independent Films at the National Board of Review Awards 2009. They are best known for writing and directing Captain Marvel, which grossed over $1 billion and is one of the highest-grossing films of all time; which made Boden the first woman to direct a live-action movie that has grossed $1 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Bajon</span> French actor

Anthony Bajon is a French actor. He is best known for his leading role in the film The Prayer (2018), which earned him critical appreciation and the Silver Bear for Best Actor.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala are an Austrian filmmaking duo. Franz is a long time partner and Fiala the nephew of filmmaker Ulrich Seidl. Franz, a former film journalist, began her film career co-writing with Seidl. Franz and Fiala began their creative partnership writing and directing Kern (2012), a documentary about the actor Peter Kern. They went on to gain international notice for their feature debut, the German-language psychological horror film Goodnight Mommy (2014), which was selected as the Austrian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

<i>Cha Cha Real Smooth</i> 2022 American film by Cooper Raiff

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a 2022 American romantic comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Cooper Raiff. The plot centers on a 22-year-old college graduate (Raiff) who starts making money as a party starter while he also strikes up a relationship with a 32-year-old mother. The cast also includes Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett, and Leslie Mann.

<i>Love Lies Bleeding</i> (2024 film) Film by Rose Glass

Love Lies Bleeding is a 2024 romantic thriller film directed by Rose Glass from a screenplay she co-wrote with Weronika Tofilska. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris. Set in 1989, its plot follows the relationship between a reclusive gym manager, who is part of a crime family, and an ambitious bodybuilder.

References

  1. 1 2 "Teddy Bear". Visit Films. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 FIVE QUESTIONS WITH “TEDDY BEAR” DIRECTOR MADS MATTHIESEN, Kevin Canfield, Filmmaker Magazine, August 21, 2012
  3. ↑ Chang, Justin (30 November 2011). "Sundance unveils dramatic, doc competition slate". Variety . Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Fernandez, Jay A. (30 November 2011). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2012 Competition Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  5. ↑ Barnes, Brooks (30 November 2011). "Eclectic as Ever, Sundance Unveils Competition Lineup". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Meet the 2012 Sundance Filmmakers #15: Mads Matthiesen's "Teddy Bear"". IndieWire . 7 January 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "Teddy Bear". Danish Film Institute . Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "Teddy Bear". Film Movement . Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Teddy Bear". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  10. ↑ "Teddy Bear". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (21 August 2012). "Gentle Giant Seeks the Strength to Body Check His Mother". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  12. ↑ Rooney, David (27 January 2012). "Teddy Bear: Sundance Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Kohn, Eric (22 January 2012). "'Teddy Bear' Is a Conventional Romance Elevated By Its Muscular Hero". IndieWire . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (24 January 2012). "Teddy Bear". Variety . Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Justin Lowe (11 August 2016). "'The Model': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "2012 Sundance Film Festival Announces Awards". Sundance Institute. 29 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.