'œThe word 'quirky' was invented to describe movies such as Adam's Apples,' said Jan Stuart in Newsday. This violent black comedy from Denmark uses broad metaphor and off-center humor to explore religion and morality. At a country church run by a humorless but optimistic vicar named Ivan (Mads Mikkelsen), several criminals must work off their state-ordered community service. Ivan's latest candidate for rehabilitation is his toughest case yet—the neo-Nazi Adam (Ulrich Thomsen), who spruces up his new room by nailing a portrait of Hitler to the wall. 'œI'm sure there's a decent black comedy in this material, but Adam's Apples isn't it,' said V.A. Musetto in the New York Post. Ivan assigns Adam to care for the church's apple tree, which is soon attacked by worms, crows, and a bolt of lightning. Ivan assures him that God's will is at work, and though Adam doesn't necessarily believe it, he picks up a Bible to take a look. God and the devil seem to be battling for Adam's soul. It's never clear whether this a joke or a morality play, said Matt Zoller Seitz in The New York Times. 'œSmart-aleck comedy and spirituality aren't incompatible, but in Adam's Apples they cancel each other out.' By trying to be hip, director Anders Thomas Jensen sacrifices his film's thoughtfulness.
Rating: R
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