One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Best movie ever!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

APPLAUSE is without a doubt one of the best films I've seen this year! It's so nice to see that there are still filmmakers out there who are more focused on telling a heartfelt human story than showing giant explosions.Paprika Steen, who plays Thea, is fantastic and completely believable. While watching this film, you are somehow magically transported into her shoes and don't just see the world from her point of view, but feel her emotions and her pain. You see her struggle and really feel for her.Unlike most foreign films, after it begins to really pick up speed, you don't even notice that it's in another language. You become so immersed in the story, you forget that you're even reading the subtitles.

I watched this film not really knowing what to expect. I was told by a friend to see it, and was really glad they suggested it! This is one of the best films I've seen this year. Paprika Steen stars as a recovering alcoholic actress who is struggling to overcome her addiction in order to stay with her children. It's a touching and stirring performance that will stay with you long after you've seen the film. I would recommend this film to anyone looking for a quality film. In this age of sequels and remakes, it's nice to see an original idea, especially one done so well. If you get an opportunity to see this film, take it right away! You won't be disappointed. :)

This is a memorable and moving Danish movie. It tells a story that in the world which we live, different people have different lives. In this film, Paprika Steen (playing Thea Barfoed) is a stage performer, used to be an alcoholic after she had suffered divorce and lost her children. When people face to the different circumstances of life, some people are the strong and optimistic, and others are weak and negative.She had some psychological barriers, she didn't know how to love her family, her sons and husband the right way because she didn't even know how to love herself. So her husband divorced her and got the two boys. After a period of psychological treatment, her life is on to the right track. But she needs to face her faults and mistakes she made before. She loves her sons and she wants to spend time and live with them sometimes, but her ex-husband doesn't trust her and he is afraid the boys will be hurt again. She is very desperate and sad. I think Paprika's performance is superb, and she expresses her emotions very well. Her performance is very natural. The film tells people how to face the mistakes of the past, and how to change her life for the better. Everybody needs salvation; While Thea looks for forgiveness from others, she must also forgive herself.

I loved this film. Is the plot unique? No. Is the cinematography revolutionary? No. Is the portrayal of this mid-aged recovering alcoholic actress executed well? YES.The previous reviewer mentioned something along the lines of how the hand-held shaky cam was just a copy cat gimmick of older indie films and how this is just another drab danish film to do the exact same crap yet again. Tell you the truth, that sounds like the rantings of an A-list film snob.Granted that the hand-held method, 3D, CGI, and dozens of other cinematography related methods are very frequently used purely just as gimmicks and very often don't add anything to the actual film, it still is a legitimate tool for cinematographers to use, and can be used to support the nature of the film. I think we're bombarded with these gimmicks so often, and so often get nothing out of it, that many people just start associated that visual tool with being distracting and pointless, even if used properly.Also, I think there was a mention about Michael Falch, and how this Comedian turned serious actor wasn't any good because he was trying too hard and overacting, and to be fair, I think that observation was due to a preconceived notion about the actor because the reviewer was familiar with him. I never heard of Michael Falch and have no idea who he is (before the film at least) and thought nothing of the acting in a negative way. I would've never guessed that he was a comedian. He was very good in the film and very convincing and obviously a natural born actor.Anyways, back to the film. Like the title says, this is a slice of life sorta movie. It is not a mapped out plot that goes from point A to point B, but rather the Director just lets us into this woman's life and gives us permission to observe her most intimate and personal moments. Thanks to the amazing (Merryl Streep Level) acting of Paprika Steen, this observation is fascinating, and it's so convincing, that you often feel very uncomfortable and filled with anxiety because like in real life, when we are faced with adversity, we often struggle to find a path to walk on, and we often do things that surprise even ourselves, and find ourselves in situations that we never planned on being in, and suddenly realize we have no idea how to escape. You just can't help but relate to the situations in this real-life reconstruction. This is only supported by the hand-held cinematography.The truth is, almost every story out there has been told at least 100 times in some form or another, but how many of those attempts are successful? Maybe 1 or 2? Sometimes never. We see so many crap movies about recovering alcoholics and people battling with their inner demons/children/careers that it's just not interesting to see anymore, so that's why we need 200 million dollars movies just to catch our eye and hold our attention. With it's simple formula, Applaus does what the majority of films out there cannot, and that is holding your attention firmly. It doesn't do this with big bells and whistles, but with a very careful and caring attention to detail that keeps you in a constant state of uneasiness that dips and rises from sadness, to suspense to moments of simple joy throughout the entire runtime.If for nothing else, see this film for the amazing and refreshing acting of Paprika Steen who is actually being nominated for Best Actress I believe.