The Idiot (2023)
This is a film with a political message with criticism aimed at the Danish welfare state. The director has admitted as much. For a film that is often dangerous territory to venture into, but I think this handles it pretty well by not being preachy and does allow for the narrative to unfold itself without direct manipulation of ones emotions. It is a response to the Danish government announcing a goal that child custody services should take away more kids from their parents if they were deemed unfit. While it is a complex issue in social welfare where the well being of the child will always be the top priority, but it does seem like a weird goal in itself that more kids should be taken away. Instead of for example having a goal of more kids should grow up in a safe environment.
The story here follows a young soon-to-be-parents couple. Both living as unemployed on the outer skirts of society, but generally good people trying to do better day by day. They get caught up in the bureaucratic system of the welfare state as they need to convince the social workers that they can take care of their future child. But the system is really not made to actually help people like them with compassion and trust. Instead they are met with suspicion and accusations, and they get in trouble merely because they are not good at playing the academic minded “game” of saying the right things to the abstract questions about what a family is from the social workers.
All of this is of course somewhat subjective and I have no idea how accurate this portrayal of actual current Danish welfare administration. What I like about it is that a critique of the process, and how it actually effects real human beings. The couple are not portrayed in a particular positive manner in every aspect, but it is not judgemental either. The film lets the consequences speak for themselves.
Rating: 4