Expectations were high following Refn´s knockout debut "Pusher". The gritty realism of that movie is in part recreated in "Bleeder", but instead of just treading water and doing a Pusher remake, this is much more stylish in its theme and cinematography (e.g. the main characters´ names all start with L; Leo, Lenny, Lea etc. - almost every image seems meticulously composed and lit). The soundtrack seems to be more carefully chosen, supporting the emotions of the characters, seen in the great opening sequence. What ultimately makes Bleeder a minor film compared to Pusher, despite brilliant performances and a downbeat, even oppressive atmosphere, is a fatal lack of the kinetic energy of Pusher, which makes Bleeder a bit dull in spots. The scenes in the video store remind you of Clerks, but are not as funny, and a true movie fan would never mistake blaxploitation star Fred Williamson for Fred Williams (as mentioned in a scene between Bodnia and Mikkelsen),especially considering the hilarious scene in which Mikkelsen incredibly lists the video store´s selection of 50+ schlock directors. I admit that Bleeder has a way of staying with you afterwards, but I had expected a bit more from Refn. Rumours of star Bodnia being committed to a mental institution following the final days of shooting were false and exaggerated by the tabloid press.

BLEEDER is the follow-up to Nicolas Winding Refn's Danish debut, PUSHER. I think it's a better film in every respect, even if it is less well known: the story, of family dysfunction and human relationships, is brimming with power, and by turns tragic, bleak, and ultimately devastating.

The story sees Leo (Kim Bodnia, of PUSHER fame),attempting to adapt to family life when he finds out his girlfriend's pregnant. Along the way, he continues uneasy friendships with the racist Louis, his girlfriend's brother, and Lenny (Mads Mikkelsen),a loner who works at the local video shop. Of course things eventually become very dark indeed, and more harrowing and shocking than they were in PUSHER.

Refn elicits some excellent performances from his cast, not least from Bodnia, who is quietly terrifying throughout this. A glimmer of hope and humour comes from the presence of the outstanding Mikkelsen, who is my favourite character; the video shop setting allows for plenty of cultural references for film fans. Watch out for PUSHER's Zlatko Buric as another friend. By the end, I felt like I'd done ten rounds in the ring: BLEEDER is that kind of film, and excellent with it.

With this film coming out several years after Pusher, giving Nicolas Winding Refn plenty of time to work on it, with basically the same cast as Pusher and apparently a bigger budget, I guess I expected more than this. While Pusher was an impressive and gritty look at the underground of Copenhagen, this is just a slightly unrealistic psychological profile of a loser who finds his wife having a baby to be the final straw. The film is about Leo, who hates almost everything about his life. When he finds himself pushed in the background for the baby his wife is to give birth to soon, he flips out and sets a load of bad stuff coming his way in motion. The plot is pretty good, I guess, but it just didn't seem as good as the plot of Pusher. The pacing is fair, but the film too often seems to stand still. The acting was mostly great. The characters are somewhat interesting and credible, but they were too underdeveloped(even more so than those of Pusher),so we rarely understand why they do what they do. The score is great, though it is overly noisy and annoying at times, most of the time it fits in well with the character were watching and his or her state of mind. The cinematography is less interesting and involving than that of Pusher. Less movement, and when there finally is movement, it seems off. The directorial style of Pusher is still there, and this is what makes the film enjoyable and watchable. However, too much time is spent wondering why him or her is doing this and that, and in the end I found that even with a fair bit of analyzing, I can't make heads or tails of the film. I don't know... maybe my expectations were too high. I recommend this to very big fans of director Nicolas W. Refn and/or Pusher. 7/10