Berlinale 2025 – Part 4

Final rundown of reviews from the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.

Having (almost) caught up with everything that got delayed as a result of the nasty cold I had the misfortune of catching in Berlin, here’s the final batch of Berlinale 2025 reviews, covering all the remaining movies from sections outside of the Official Selection, minus the retrospective. Unless otherwise specified, all the films were viewed in cinemas during the festival.

Home Sweet Home (Hjem kaere hjem, Panorama)

Almost a companion piece to Petra Volpe’s Late Shift (more on that one here), Frelle Petersen’s drama deals with a young woman working as a carer who makes home visits to old people and soon has to come to terms with the more unpleasant realities of her chosen profession. A thoughtfully composed character study, it suffers from a slightly contrived third act but boasts a stellar central performance by the director’s frequent collaborator Jette Søndergaard. (viewed via screener)

***1/2

Beginnings (Begyndelser, Panorama)

In 2020, Jeanette Nordahl wowed the Panorama audience at the festival with her debut Wildland, a coming-of-age story set against a crime movie backdrop. Beginnings changes tack by putting a nuanced spin on the idea of a marriage coming to an end (the two soon-to-be exes stay together when one of them suffers a debilitating stroke). Not quite as strong as its predecessor, but Nordahl confirms her great rapport with Danis acting royalty, in this case Trine Dyrholm who has to convey so much while apparently doing very little. Honorable mention for David Dencik in a rare leading role.

***1/2