Giftes - nej tak!: A polite mess of old-fashioned indignation

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for old Danish cinema and don't mind a story that moves at the speed of a dusty bicycle, sure. Fans of sharp, period-specific social satire might find a few chuckles here. Everyone else? You’ll probably find it as exciting as watching paint dry in a parlor room. ☕

The premise is simple enough. Ulla Hempel writes a book using a pseudonym, Ulla Ironica, and suddenly the town is clutching its pearls. It’s funny, in a very stiff, 1930s way.

The vibe is... specific

There is this one scene where Arthur Jensen is just standing there looking confused, and it lingers for about ten seconds too long. It’s not even a joke, it just feels like the camera guy forgot to yell cut. I found myself staring at the wallpaper pattern behind him instead.

It reminds me a bit of the quiet, observational weirdness in The Slacker, though with way more fancy hats and less dirt. The dialogue is snappy enough, but sometimes it feels like they’re reading off cue cards held by a very bored assistant.

• The lighting in the library scenes is oddly yellow.
• Agnes Rehni acts like she’s in a completely different movie than the rest of the cast.
• The way they handle the 'scandal' is so quaint it’s almost cute.

I couldn't help but think about how these characters would handle the internet today. They’d probably faint within five minutes of opening a Twitter account. Instead, they just pace around their living rooms looking indignant. 🙄

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely even a solid narrative. But there’s a charm to the way Ib Schønberg carries himself, like he’s trying to hold up the entire set with his shoulders. Sometimes, a movie is just a collection of nice moments held together by glue and hope.

If you like movies that feel like a faded photograph you found in an attic, give it a go. Just don't go looking for South Sea Adventures level intensity. It’s not here. And honestly, that’s probably for the best.

The ending happens so abruptly I actually checked if my player had glitched. It just sort of... stops. Like a conversation where someone realizes they’re late for a train. I don't hate it, but it’s definitely an odd choice. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯