Get ready to be angry and depressed. Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is trying to bounce back from some life setbacks. He was laid off from his job as a high school teacher so he has to work at a kindergarten, plus his ex-wife won't let him see their kid. Things are starting to look up, though. He meets a new lady friend, his son decides he'd rather live with his dad, and he actually enjoys spending time with the small children. And they love him, especially his best friend's five-year-old daughter, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp). When Lucas accidentally hurts Klara's feelings, she retaliates by telling the principal that he showed her his penis.
All of a sudden, Lucas' life begins a long downward slide as the entire town begins to turn on him.
It's one of those movies where you just feel awful for the guy. You can't even be mad, because what are the people supposed to do, ignore a little girl's claims of molestation? You have to take that seriously. Unfortunately, when the accusation is unfounded, it not only ruins somebody's entire life, it also makes it that much harder to believe the next kid who says something.
"Innocent until proven guilty" sounds so good on paper, and we'd like to believe that we, as people, would be fair-minded and wait for the facts before we publically branded someone a monster. We certainly wouldn't strip someone of their humanity based on a rumor. And yet, in any society the safety of the young is paramount. How far would you go to protect your child?
Thorny, dark and deeply affecting, this movie hooks into you and forces you to look at the squirmy underbelly of polite citizenry. I can't say that I enjoyed the experience but it is one of the first truly unforgettable Oscar nominees of this year.
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