Okay (2002)

Directed by: Jesper W. Nielsen | 93 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Paprika Steen, Troels Lyby, Ole Ernst, Nicolaj Kopernikus, Molly Blixt Egelind, Laura Drasbæk, Trine Dyrholm, Lotte Andersen

A family drama can go either way. To make a family drama special and believable, good actors and some humor to maintain some lightness are required. In ‘Okay’ these ingredients are clearly present, with original storylines and moving moments adding to the quality of the film.

Paprika Steen, known for ‘Festen’, among other things, plays the 35-year-old Nete. In principle, Nete wants the best for everyone, but sometimes does not see that she does seem very dominating to her family members. When she hears that her father is seriously ill and probably only has a few weeks to live, she decides that he can’t spend his last weeks alone in his musty apartment, and that he can stay with Nete and Kristian for as long as possible. Kristian is not very happy about this, also because he himself is quite frustrated about his unsuccessful career as a writer. Both Nete and Kristian are played very believable, and remain sympathetic even though neither of them are doing very well.

Nete’s father (Ole Ernst) comes out as an embittered man, his wife has been dead for several years, which he says he is actually happy about. He has no one else, nor has he contact with his gay son Martin. Through the contact with his granddaughter Katrine, Grandpa blossoms again, his appetite and humor suddenly return, and the expected three weeks become two months.

The developments in the film are shown very realistically, and even though the subjects are quite serious and sometimes a bit heavy, due to the good acting and the (black) humor it never becomes a sentimental melodrama. This is of course completely in line with the Danish film, ‘Okay’ is therefore no exception to the Danish sober, but touching cinema. The characters’ emotions remain genuine, because you understand them, and because the film shows when people are in doubt and why.

Finally, the music is also well chosen, the often modern music keeps the film sober and enhances the most moving scenes. The use of light is also beautiful, the most obvious example of which is the scene in which Nete and her father are at the doctor’s and hear about the serious illness. At that moment an ominous light hangs around the doctor, while the background there is quite dark. Other examples can be seen throughout the film, but other than that, ‘Okay’ is well worth watching for any of the above reasons.