Open Hearts

Plot

An engaged couple is torn apart after the man is paralyzed in an accident and the woman falls in love with the husband of the woman who caused the accident. Joachim, a young man, is made a tetraplegic and hospitalized indefinitely by a car crash after being hit by Marie. Marie's husband Niels is a doctor at the hospital, and he falls for Joachim's fiancee Cecilie, and they have an affair. Niels then leaves his wife, teenage daughter and two young boys for Cecilie, who abandons Joachim.

Cast

• Sonja Richter as Cecilie
• Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Joachim
• Mads Mikkelsen as Niels
• Paprika Steen as Marie
• as Stine
• Birthe Neumann as Hanne
• Niels Olsen as Finn
• Ulf Pilgaard as Thomsen
• as Gustav
• Pelle Bang Sørensen as Emil
• as Robert
• Ida Dwinger as Sanne
• Philip Zandén as Tommy
• as Salesperson in Ilva
• as Doctor
• as Cashier
• as Cook
• as Waiter
• as Nurse 1
• as Nurse 2

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the film was recorded by Indonesian-French singer Anggun. The album was released by Columbia Records and Sony Music International in many countries worldwide during 2002 to 2003. It became Anggun's second and final album to be released in the United States, following Snow on the Sahara in 1998. The soundtrack features nine songs written and produced by Jesper Winge Leisner and Niels Brinck, three of which co-written by Anggun.

The album received positive reception from music critics. William Ruhlmann from AllMusic rated it three out five stars, writing that Anggun "matches the propulsive, synthesized musical tracks with breathy, emotive vocals that never lose the beat for all their dramatic appeal." The album's lead single, "Open Your Heart", charted at number 51 on the Norwegian Singles Chart and was nominated for Best Song at the 2003 Robert Awards. "Counting Down" served as a radio-only single in Indonesia and promotional single in Denmark, while "I Wanna Hurt You" was released as 12" vinyl single in Italy.

Track listing

Critical reception

The film holds a score of 93% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with the average score of 7.3/10, based on 58 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Pulsing with honesty, [Open Hearts] lays bare the rawness of human emotion with a story made all the more believable thanks to its gritty, low-budget approach."

Nick Schager of Slant Magazine said that "Susanne Biers crafts her familiar story with equal doses of austerity and sympathy".

According to Elbert Ventura of PopMatters the film's scenario is "soapy and bedridden", adding that "Open Hearts is perhaps too studiously open-ended, a misstep we'll take considering the movie's refreshing magnanimity".

Cancelled remake

In 2006, Zach Braff was reported to direct, write, and produce an English-language remake of the film following his debut of Garden State. Paramount Pictures won the rights to produce and distribute in a bidding war between Fox Searchlight Pictures and The Weinstein Company. Sean Penn was set to co-star with Braff in the film, but the film collapsed due to scheduling conflicts and budget issues. Despite this, Braff still hopes to one day make the film.

References

References

1. "Open Hearts". [[Fandango Media]].
2. "Cronenberg the big winner". ''[[Guelph Mercury]]'', September 17, 2002.
3. Piil, Morten. (2008). "Gyldendals danske filmguide". [[Gyldendal]].
4. "Elsker dig for evigt". Det Danske Filminstitut.
5. William Ruhlmann (2003). [http://www.allmusic.com/album/open-hearts-r629672/ Open Hearts]. AllMusic. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
6. "Open Hearts Reviews". [[CBS Interactive]].
7. Schager, Nick. (14 February 2003). "Review: Open Hearts".
8. Ventura, Elbert. (13 March 2003). "Open Hearts (Elsker dig for evigt) (2002)".
9. (March 2, 2006). "Braff opens 'Hearts' for Paramount". The Hollywood Reporter.
10. Jagernauth, Kevin. (April 21, 2011). "Sean Penn Was Set To Star In Zach Braff’s ‘Open Hearts’ Before It Fell Apart At The Last Minute". [[IndieWire]].