claes bang – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

THE SECRET WOMAN – Review by Susan Granger

September 3, 2026September 6, 2026 Susan Granger Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg, claes bang, danish films, Natalie Wolfsberg Madueno, netflix, Pal Sverre Hagen, The Secret Woman, thriller

Netflix’s intriguing Danish psychological thriller The Secret Woman introduces a lady with amnesia who learns that she’s not only a missing heiress but also married and the mother of a young son. The story begins in Denmark as an adult female is climbing over the railing of a huge bridge with someone in pursuit; terrified, she jumps off, just as a cargo ship passes below. Cut to: Louise Andersen who runs a small café on the idyllic Norwegian island of Hidra with her novelist fiancé Joachim. Their peaceful life is shattered when a stranger appears, insisting that her real name is Helene, not Louise.

Reviews

BONJOUR TRISTESSE – Review by Liz Whittemore

April 15, 2025April 20, 2025 Liz Whittemore Bonjour Tristesse, chloe sevigny, claes bang, Durga Chew-Bose, Lily McInerny, Maximilian Pittner, Nailia Harzoune

Writer-director Durga Chew-Bose’ first feature adapts Françoise Sagan sensational coming-of-age novel Bonjour Tristesse. The author was only 18 when she published her tale of summertime sexual awakening, jealousy, and plotting In 1954. The story was so controversial that it was denounced by the Pope. Chew-Bose’s film follows Cécile enjoying her slow-paced summer in Southern France with her boyfriend, her widowed father and his latest love interest. The arrival of her late mother’s best friend, slowly throws Cécile’s predictable existence into disarray. Knowing what a ruckus the novel caused, the film feels rather tame. While the story plays out predictably, it still hits all the right notes.

Reviews

THE LAST VERMEER – Review by Diane Carson

November 10, 2020November 16, 2020 Diane Carson 0 Comments claes bang, Dan Friedkin, Guy Pearce, Han van Meegeren, the last vermeer, The Man Who Made Vermeers, truth-based

Straining credulity were it not based on fact, The Last Vermeer chronicles the mysterious twists and turns of art dealer Han van Meegeren’s fortunes. He sold the rare, iconic Vermeer painting Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery for 1.5 million guilders to infamous Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring during WWII.

Reviews

THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY – Review by Martha K Baker

August 8, 2020August 8, 2020 awfj-admin 0 Comments claes bang, donald sutherland, Elizabeth Debicki, Guiseppi Capotondi, mick jagger, the burnt orange heresy

It’s a mystery, a love story, a caper, a flirtation, a discussion-starter, a bowl of cold Pabulum. All of the above. None of the above. The Burnt Orange Heresy is one of those films that will make you feel either “had” or fed, energized or enervated.

Reviews

THE BAY OF SILENCE – Review by Maitland McDonagh

July 31, 2020August 1, 2020 Maitland McDonagh 0 Comments bay of silence, claes bang, Olga Kurylenko, Paula van der Oest

While the film’s underlying subject–the poisonous legacy of childhood abuse–could be called lurid, director Paula Van der Oest and screenwriter Caroline Goodall keep the focus firmly on the characters, with Claes Bang and Olga Kurylenko delivering nuanced performances that give their characters surprising depth given that the film maintains the swift pace of a thriller, and the beautiful production design and cinematography never detract from the ugliness of their experiences.

Reviews

THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY – Review by Leslie Combemale

February 12, 2020February 14, 2020 Leslie Combemale 0 Comments burnt orange heresy, Charles Willeford, claes bang, donald sutherland, Elizabeth Debicki, Giuseppe Capotondi, mick jagger

There’s something perverse in seeing great actors doing great work in a film that has an extremely problematic script and plot. In the new release The Burnt Orange Heresy, directed by Giuseppe Capotondi and written by Scott B. Smith from the Charles Willeford novel, a collection of endlessly enigmatic actors that includes Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Donald Sutherland, and Mick Jagger breathe temporary life into, but can’t resuscitate this pretentious neo-noir script.