Love Is All You Need – Den skaldede frisør (2011)

Directed by: Susanne Bier | 116 minutes | comedy, romance | Actors: Trine Dyrholm, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Bodnia, Molly Blixt Egelind, Paprika Steen, Sebastian Jessen, Christiane Schaumburg-Müller, Micky Skeel Hansen, Bodil Jørgensen, Stina Ekblad, Rikke Louise Andersson, Line Kruse, Birthe Neumann, Ciro Petrone, Philip Zanden, Frederikke Thomassen

Movies are sometimes just like real life. There won’t be a family on earth that doesn’t have a deranged cousin, an aunt that talks too loudly and often, or an uncle who laughs the loudest at his own jokes. ‘Love Is All You Need’ by Susanne Bier – released in her own country under the much more fitting and less mundane title ‘Den skaldede frisør’, meaning ‘The bald hairdresser’, is about such a dysfunctional family.

The pivot in ‘Love Is All You Need’ is Ida (Trine Dyrholm). While she is having a final conversation at the hospital about the chemotherapy she has undergone for breast cancer, her husband Leif (Kim Bodnia) is on the couch with the much younger Tilde ‘from the administration’, spending his lunch break. When Ida catches them, she is defeated. Her husband’s half-hearted remarks to justify his deception don’t seem to get through to her. Leif packs his things and leaves. They will not meet again until their daughter’s wedding in Italy.

Astrid (Molly Blixt Egelind) will marry Patrick (Sebastian Jessen), a sweet boy she’s only known for three months. The click between the two seems to be so strong that getting married is the only logical option. The location: a country house to be renovated by Patrick’s father Philip (Pierce Brosnan), located near the sea, in the middle of a lemon grove. Philip is a busy, unfriendly businessman who trades in fruit and vegetables. At the airport, an unfortunate collision occurs: while parking the car, the nervous Ida hits Philip’s expensive car and after he has spoken to her, they find out that they are on their way to the same event.

Problems accumulate in Italy, which consists of postcards. Not only does Patrick’s annoying aunt and surrogate mother Benedikte (Paprika Steen) come to ruin things, Leif also arrives – with his young conquest in tow. Astrid, meanwhile, starts to have more and more doubts about her upcoming marriage, not least because of Patrick’s sudden refusal to make love to her.

Where this all leads is very predictable. ‘Love Is All You Need’ is no surprise. Fortunately, the trite scenario is taken to a higher level by the excellent cast. The female part in particular manages to give some depth to the characters, with Trine Dyrholm at the forefront, who portrays the simple hairdresser as a sweet, spontaneous woman with her heart on her tongue. It is nice to follow her development. Molly Blixt Egelind is a revelation. The young actress conjures up a range of emotions on her face. For the seasoned Paprika Steen, the interpretation of bitchy Benedikte must be a wonderful role. This pedantic woman never misses a chance to put her chubby daughter in her name, to attract attention or to point out to her brother-in-law Philip the unbridled passion that has been between them for years… The gentlemen get less chance to display their talents, but Pierce Brosnan has a nice chemistry with the lead actress and Kim Bodnia is fun as the ultimate wrong husband.

‘Love Is All You Need’ is the most light-hearted film Susanne Bier has made and you have probably already forgotten it by the time the credits roll across the screen. Unless you’re talking to that chatty aunt again, then you might think back to this romkom for people over forty.