Superclásico is Danish Oscar entry

OSCAR RUN. Ole Christian Madsen's comedy enjoyed a warm reception at its North American premiere in Toronto last week.

"Superclásico" by veteran director Ole Christian Madsen was selected today by the Danish Oscar committee as the national entry for the foreign language Oscar nominations 2012.

Set in Buenos Aires the film follows Christian (Anders W. Berthelsen) who travels halfway around the world with his son to make his soon-to-be ex-wife Anna (Paprika Steen) sign the divorce papers while harboring a secret desire to win her back – a trip that also turns out to be a veritable clash of cultures for the edgy Dane.

"Happiest movie about divorce ever made"

"It's a fine and funny addition to the oeuvre of one of Denmark's most consistently intriguing filmmakers," Toronto programmer Steve Gravestock wrote about the film which enjoyed a warm reception from the festival audiences last week along with praises from the trade press:

"Known primarily as a director of heavy drama, helmer Madsen proves equally adept at the comedy of marital discord," Variety notes, while Screen commends the film for "pleasantly abandoning romantic comedy convention and nothing happens as you'd expect."

"Quite possibly the happiest movie about divorce ever made," the Canadian film website Twitch says, calling "Superclásico" "a smart, frequently laugh out loud comedy meant for those who have been around the block once or twice."

First comedy

"Superclásico" succeeds the director's 2008 blockbuster "Flame & Citron", a tense WW2 drama starring Mads Mikkelsen and Thure Lindhardt.

The director himself groups "Superclásico" with his two previous films about love and break-ups, "Kira's Reason – A Love Story" and "Prague", only this time Ole Christian Madsen lends a comic angle to the matter. "I learned that I had yet to tell the story of all the absurd and funny aspects of my own and others' lives that I find myself laughing at." Read full interview

"Superclásico" opened domestically in March and reached a total of 185,000 admissions. Interest from international buyers is growing after the film's successful Toronto release, and it is soon off to a string of prestigious festivals worldwide.

"Superclásico" is produced by Lars Bredo Rahbek and Signe Leick Jensen for Nimbus film, and international sales are handled by The Match Factory.

The Academy Awards committee will announce the five foreign language Oscar nominees on 24 January, and the winner will be announced on 26 February at the 84th Academy Awards. Winner of 2011's foreign language Oscar was Danish director Susanne Bier for "In a Better World".