Artivels Undescribable Perfection

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

fatcat-77822 You know from the start this will be great. Some movies take a bit to get going but you know early on this one is going to be wierd with some strange outcomes. Subtitles are easy to read.

kitatbro I've been anxiously awaiting the American release of Men and Chicken. Having become a huge Mads Mikkelsen fan, I've watched all of his movies I could get my hands on. As such, I've become a big fan of Danish cinema. The Danes have a really off-beat sense of humor that shines in this film. As other reviewers have said, this movie almost defies description. I will say that it's hilarious. It brought me to tears at times. The characters are quirky and unpredictable. They never cease to amaze, in more ways than one. Basically the story unites 2 sets of brothers who had never met, 2 of the brothers hoping to meet their biological father. In their own special ways, they learn from each other and enrich each others' lives. Without revealing it, there is a very interesting ending to the film. If you catch them, there are subtle clues to the ending throughout. The actors aren't afraid to make fun of themselves in both looks and actions. The dialogue is witty so read the subtitles quickly.

MartinHafer If I had to sum up this film, it's like an unholy mating of "The Island of Dr. Moreau", the odd Alan Bates film "King of Hearts" and perhaps "Eraserhead"! It's twisted and strange film from Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen...that's for sure.When the film begin, Gabriel (David Dencik) is at his father's deathbed. His other son, Elias (Mads Mikkelsen) arrives too late. However, their father left a videotape for them both to watch upon his death. In the tape, he reveals that their mother and father are not their biological parents and that their biological father is an elderly man living on a desolate island in the south. The brothers both agree to travel there and see if they can see this man. However, the trip will not be easy, as Elias is a very, very strange man with a strong psychosexual compulsion to masturbate or score with women...though as the film progresses it appears as if his prowess with women is in his strange mind.When they arrive at a dilapidated old sanitarium where their biological father is said to reside, Gabriel is greeted with incredible hostility. His three previously unknown brothers who live there attack him and beat him severely and with no provocation. In many ways, they behave like animals. Later, the pair return and Gabriel encourages Elias to take a try in talking to this weird trio. We soon understand why....Elias is just as violent and insane as they are! After besting the three in a very violent meeting, Gabriel and Elias are allowed in to see this ultra-bizarre place. Apparently the hospital was closed decades ago and these three mentally challenged and weird men formed their own odd social structure based on who can beat the others senseless. What's more, the place is a filthy mess...with farm animals in most every room and decay all about the place. There also are indication that at least some of the brothers have been making amorous advances towards some of the animals! To make it even stranger, if it's even possible, every time Gabriel asks to see their father, his newly discovered brother, Franz, gets violent and threatens to lock them in cages! What's really going on here and why is it that all five brothers seem to possess various sorts of strange genetic disorders? To find out more, I suggest you see the film...though I promise you the answers will be rather awful and a bit disturbing!Well, if you do see this one, don't say I didn't warn you...it's incredibly strange and is not for the squeamish. It also answers a question that fans of the television series "Hannibal" have been asking...."What will Mads Mikkelsen do now that the show has been canceled?!". Well, I'll tell you...in many ways he's just made a film that makes "Hannibal" look amazingly normal!So there you have it...the gauntlet's been thrown. Do you dare try this strange Danish film? And, if you do, what do you make of it and its ultra-strange plot?! As for me...I still don't know what I think of it!! I do know that the acting is extremely good (particularly by Dencik who manages to more than hold his own opposite Mikkelsen) and the film deserves kudos for being unique!

kentfx-1 As good a film as I've seen in years; I can't wait to start dragging friends over to watch it with strong cheese and beer.I do have a serious question about the title, though. Translated into English, the Danish title would be "Men and Hens", which is ambiguous and quite amusing. Instead, someone at the distribution end renamed it "Men and Chicken", which at first glance just looks like bad English (shouldn't there be an "s" at the end?), and at second glance hints at pedophilia. Is that really the best way to sell a clever and serious film with very dark philosophical overtones?Regardless, anyone who likes thoughtful and utterly unexpected twists in their stories should see "Men and Hens". You'll love it.