The two leads capably humanize an overdetermined screenplay that often fumbles with bludgeoning symbolism and rank sentimentality.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
Should have been either darker or funnier. Or both.
While the acting is top-notch, the real star of the film is the script.
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Mikkelsen and Kaas are up to the demands of their roles, revealing impressive range and skill.
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
A movie in search of a theme. Svend and Bjarne aren't bad or uninteresting characters, and certainly the two talented actors playing them are inherently watchable. But there's too little meat on these bones.
Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan
It's the sick humor that's most appealing about this odd little Danish film.
The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen
Pitch-perfect performances bring it all home, particularly that of Danish leading man Mikkelsen.
A flawed black comedy about two buddies who open a butcher's shop in a small Danish town.