Truly Dreadful Film

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

THIS MOVIE HAS THE INCREDIBLE MERIT OF PRESENTING A PRACTICALLY DELETED REALITY OF THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF DENMARK. ITS PROTAGONIST, JOHANN FRIEDRICH STRUENSEE, IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THE FREEDOM OF THE MANKIND... THAT RESULTS VERY INDIGESTIBLE TO OFFICIAL HISTORIANS. THIS FILM BRINGS BACK SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LOST IN THE CURRENT CINEMA: DEPTH, MORAL RELEVANCE, PLASTIC BEAUTY, SINCERE EMOTION, GREAT INTERPRETATION, EXCELLENT DIALOGUES. THE THEME OF FREEDOM OF THOUGHT HAS BEEN FEW TIMES TOUCHED BY CINEMA (I REMEMBER "WITCH" IN 1920, "INHERIT THE WIND" IN 1959, "THE PHARAO" IN 1966), BUT AS IN THIS MOVIE, NEVER. EQUALLY "A ROYAL AFFAIR" (TITLE THAT HIDES THE TRUE SENSE OF THE ARGUMENT) SHOWS EMPATHY TOWARDS THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE, TOWARDS THE IDEALS THAT CAME IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, AND DENOUNCES THE DARK COMPLOTES OF THE EUROPEAN NOBILITY AND THE CHURCH. THIS IS THE DENIED HISTORY, THIS IS A WORK OF ART THAT OBEYS WONDERFULLY THE GREEK IDEAL OF THE DEEP LINK OF BEAUTY AND INTELLIGENCE. "A ROYAL AFFAIR", DESPITE THE TITLE, IS A GIFT FOR THE MIND AND THE HEART.

I found the story itself rather intriguing and the fact that it is based on real events makes the movie even more worth seeing. I assure you won't be bored watching this, lots of things happened during the relatively short period of time at the Danish court that this movie pictures. The characters are believable and you get a deeper understanding for the complex relationships between them. The actors are all very skilled and I can feel how kings and queens back then where only just people, looking for love and a meaningful life. This is unlike many other period dramas, where the dialogue tend to be too formal and characters archetypal. This is not the case with this film. I truly enjoyed it.

Set in 1767, the British Princess Caroline is sent to Denmark to marry the mentally ill and promiscuous King Christian. A German doctor, Johann, a free thinker, is recruited to help organize the king's affairs. He influences the king's policies with Enlightenment ideas, undermining the interests of the ruling class. Johann has a child by the king's neglected wife which gives the conservative ruling council their opportunity to indict Johann of treason, resulting in his execution and restoration of feudal law.Based on a true story this is an intriguing piece of history well told in a well made film. Convincing, excellent acting within luscious, superbly filmed settings.

In the late eighteenth century Denmark, a radical German doctor soothed the mad King, seduced the Queen and governed the country as an enlightened liberal. Understadnably, it didn't last, and Nikolaj Arcel's film tells the story of his extraordinary rise and fall. It's a compelling story, a historical 'Borgen' and the tragedy of a man who ends up assuming an unsustainable position almost by accident; as a film, it's well-acted but also slow, drawing out a tale that can only ever move in one direction. A touch of sympathy for the old guard might have added some depth. It's interesting to think that the British king of the same period also had his own issues with mental health, another story that has been filmed: the politics here is stronger than in Alan Bennet's 'The Madness of King George', but it's not as much fun.