Charlot og Charlotte (1996) User Reviews (2)

Feel-good road movie

[Lebech · 9/10 · 27 July 2001]

Cool city girl Charlot ends up with lonely naive country girl Charlotte on a road trip together across Denmark. On their trip to Skagen on the top of Denmark they have many strange and existential experiences, meeting among others an angel, a mass-murderer, and religious fundamentalists.

The movie has great and hilarious moments and is the best Danish road movie I've seen so far (there are not many, though). Naturally, the trip through Denmark is also a personal voyage for the two Charlots, who both learn from each other, and sort out their messy lives.

The movie is definitely a bit uneven at times, but it leaves you with that great feel-good experience, and I love the road movie feeling. R.E.M.'s Monster album works also works perfectly as background music for the movie.

The director Ole Bornedal is the man behind Danish international success movie "Nattevagten", which he later (less successfully) remade as the US movie "Nightwatch" with David Nicholson.

A wonderful story of Faith, Hope and Love

[PAJA-2 · 10/10 · 19 December 2002]

This movie joins a handful of powerful cinematic accounts, featuring two strong women in the front seat. There is "Heavenly Creatures", "Lilo and Stitch", "Fucking Åmål", and some more that have caught my attention.

"Charlot og Charlotte" teaches the value of an open mind and of friendship. It's a refreshingly different "3 hours plus" road-movie, set in four chapters and played out over most of the Danish countryside. The female duo of the title sets out as having only two things in common - their name and the fact that they've both been let down by men. But along the way the extrovert and outspoken Charlot and the prudish and restrained Charlotte learn from each-other and from the people they meet. And their habit of not letting any hitch-hiker down makes for quite some experiences.

This is not a movie for everyone, and the open story-line carries many twists and changes of direction. But for those patient enough there is a story to be told. And despite the recurrent mockery of religion and the abundance of irreverent speech, it is based upon a Christian motto. It's the one about Faith, Hope and Love. Fittingly enough those words also show up as headlines for the different episodes.

Some low moments in the story: the ending, which is a bit off the climax that was in the previous two episodes. But the high moments - and they are many! - include an abundance of lovely outdoor scenes filled with Danish Summer on man-made islands, bridges, harvesters and bonfires. And how I love that talk of butterflies! It'll make my day - any day.