Pusher Trilogy

It's true, we've all seen crimes-go-wrong scenarios before. However, writer-director Nicolas Winding Refn does a wonderful job of focusing his camera on single characters in each film and bringing out the drama of crooks and pushers getting in over their head in some of the worst days of their lives.

In Pusher, drug middleman Frank tries to sort out a mess when he winds up owing too much to local drug kingpin Milo.

Pusher II plays like an Oedipal tragedy minus the mom, with Frank's friend Tonny taking center stage. Tonny gets out of jail and tries to ingratiate himself into the crime business of his cruel father with predictably disastrous results.

Pusher III returns to Milo, an important character in each of the previous films, as he ages and is challenged by new blood in the drug business and new challenges as he negotiates his daughter's 25th birthday party, her wanting to get in on the action, bad drug deals, prostitution and murder.

All three films play perfectly together, with recurring characters, similar themes and believable violence. The criminals are humanized in a way that doesn't let audiences off the hook, as with Trainspotting's reluctantly violent druggies. These are the dealers with cool heads who have chosen this line of work and do terrible things. Yet, at the end of the day or week, Winding Refn has let us walk in their shoes enough to see the fallibility and humanity in what 90 minutes before we might have regarded as unconscionable evil. If you want to sympathize with these characters, you'll have to admit you see a little darkness in yourself, too.

P.S. The tale of how Pusher II and III came to be is almost as cool as the films. It's covered in the documentary Gambler here, which follows him and his associates as they struggle to put together funding for the two films, not to get paid, but just to break even and climb out of moviemaking bankruptcy. Also cool are two featurettes explore how Winding Refn picked amateurs or almost-amateurs for most of the gritty roles in the last two films.

The Pusher Trilogy is the anti-gangster film in very much the same way as Unforgiven was the anti-western. Nicholas Winding Refn has stripped down the gangster lifestyle and revealed it for what it really is: brutal, unforgiving, and unglamorous. The gangsters in these films don't live in mansions; they live in dirty apartments. They don't have parties in expensive clubs; they use run down restaurants.

Each film has its own main character who has to deal with what ends up being a catastrophically escalating series of events. The first film follows Frank, a drug dealer who runs into trouble when a deal goes sour. The second film features Mads Mikkelson (the recent "Casino Royale" James Bond villain), who plays an incredibly tragic figure; the film plays on "son tries to win his father's affection" themes, while simultaneously subverting them. The final film follows Milo, a drug kingpin who is propelled into a series of tragic choices when a shipment of cocaine doesn't come in as planned.

The three films are all great; a bit on the short side, but very effective. Many critics seem to think the second one is the strongest and I tend to agree with them, although the third film, "I Am The Angel of Death," has almost the same level of pathos. If you are a fan of films like "Scarface," "City of God," or "The Sopranos" (not a film, I know), then definitely give this one a look! The DVDs are in Danish (mostly) with English subtitles and Nicolas Refn gives great commentaries on films 2 and 3 in English.

Brutal, but with a keen sense of irony, Nicolas Winding Refn's "Pusher Trilogy" is a wildly entertaining ride that's far more sophisticated than might appear at first glance. Three films that share certain overlapping characters, the "Pusher Trilogy" also links the stories with thematic similarities--but any of these movies also stand up to independent viewing. Individually, they are gritty and effective looks at the criminal underbelly--but together, they are an undeniable masterwork! Uproariously hilarious, wickedly bloody, and even surprisingly moving at times, I wholeheartedly recommend these to lovers of international film (they are set in Copenhagen) or the action genre.

"Pusher" tells the story of a low-life hood, Frank. As Frank hustles up a drug deal that turns south, he suddenly finds himself in a week long scramble to get on top of a bad situation. When bad goes to worse, he turns on his closest allies and faces the final reckoning alone. But he may just be in too deep! "Pusher" is a solid action picture. Frank's relationship with his cohort Tonny is played extremely well. His desperate machinations are a doomed excursion to the darkside and have a black humor that's uncomfortably appealing. Not the most original story in the "Pusher" arsenal, but it works really well regardless. 4 stars.

"Pusher II: With Blood On My Hands" is easily my favorite film of the trio. Why? It is understated and surprising and, of all the films, the most unique. Tonny (the terrific Mads Mikkelsen) returns from "Pusher." Some time in the future, Tonny is being released from prison and Tonny must reestablish his place in the outside world. A disapproving father, who just happens to be a crime boss, doesn't help matters. Tonny finds it difficult to be taken as a real player and is a doormat for those that surround him, both professionally and personally. Tonny actually starts to prove that perhaps he is the most worthy character amidst a barrel of bad apples and a final act of redemption is oddly heartfelt. 5 stars.

"Pusher III: I'm The Angel of Death" reintroduces Milo--a boss who has played a supporting role until now. Like a mad comic opera, "Pusher III" has Milo making dinner for his daughter's birthday party, juggling rehab meetings (he's 5 days clean), and trying to maintain business as usual with his crew. When a drug deal sours (that happens way too much!), Milo's perfect day loses all sense of balance and Milo is drawn into an unpleasant series of events leading to human trafficking. Milo's bratty daughter is a hoot as are his attempts to shanghai the addict's meetings. But ultimately, it's Milo's drug fueled descent (based on both morality and pride) that is nightmarish and unforgettable. 4 1/2 stars.

Each film works and succeeds on its own merits! But if you get the "Pusher Trilogy" and watch them in conjunction, it is a movie making magic. Together, I easily rate the product at 5 stars as the three different films enhance the others. Perfection. KGHarris, 1/11.

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