User Reviews

This is absolutely a simplistic and very straightforward movie, that you can put under the slice of life, type of category. All of the drama, characters and events feel real and are also being kept deliberately small and realistic.

The movie its title is very fitting. It might sound strange for a movie that focuses on an Arnold Schwarzenegger sized body builder to have such a title but the main character, despite of his imposing size, is being a true teddy bear! A gentle giant who never gets mad at anything or anyone. He's the type of guy that always comes across as friendly but shy and he's also the type of friendly guy people can easily take advantage of, since he can't really say no to anything. He's all very well aware of this but it's just simply part of his personality and he doesn't have the right social skills to change anything about it. I do believe that many people, to some extend, can identify with the movie its main character, which to me was also the foremost reason why the movie worked out so effectively.

Despite his appearance, the main character seems to lack true confidence, which also makes him uncomfortable around women and maybe is also being part of the reason why he still, at the age of 38, lives at home with his mother, stuck in the situation. I wouldn't at all be surprised if he never had a true relationship with a woman, which hurts him inside. He definitely wants to be with someone and wants to give his love and be able to express himself to someone other than his loving mother.

He's not a loser type of person and watching this movie is not as depressing as I am perhaps making it sound right now. Like so many other people out there, he's simply searching for love and true happiness but he's looking at the wrong places for it. He is very well aware of this as well but the urge to find someone to be with is too big to resist any longer. I wouldn't call him desperate, that sounds too negative for my taste but it's more like that nothing else so far has worked out for him, so he begins looking where lots of lonely and somewhat social awkward, middle aged men look for 'love'; Thailand.

I know I talk a lot about the movie its main character but that simply is because he's the heart and center of the movie and everything that goes on in this movie truly revolves around him. Due to circumstances and his personality he gets himself needlessly into trouble at times.

The sort of trouble that is easy to avoid but he doesn't want to heart anybody and he's obviously a pleaser who wants to make everybody feel good, even if that means lying to a person who you care about.

Kim Kold is a true force to reckon with, mainly due to his size and screen presence. I'm pretty sure in certain scenes they exaggerated this a bit for dramatic effect but there is no denying this is one big guy and it's of course no big surprise Kold himself actually is a bodybuilder in real life. I'm not saying he will be the new and next Schwarzenegger but I truly think he should be given a chance in a bigger- and international production.

No doubt this movie will be the Danish Oscar contender this year, for best foreign language movie and by all means it should be! It's a very cute and heartfelt, straightforward movie, with real people and real life situations, that are all very easy to identify with.

8/10.

Teddy Bear highlights and shows the life of a professional body builder in his attempt to find love amidst his massive muscles and odd profession. His search ends up taking him to Thailand where he ends up finding a lovely Thai woman who shares his interest in love. The true problem is not his muscles in his quest for love, but his codependent relationship with his petite mother, who is the real hindrance to finding love. It appears that she wants all his love to herself and won't let him free. She won't let her baby boy "fly", and "Teddy Bear" hasn't learned how to fly, metaphorically speaking. The mother of the body builder has an emotional hold on his life and his heart. Every decision, or it appears every feeling that 'Teddy Bear" has, must be run and checked through his mother. He emotionally cannot escape the grasps of his mother's reigns. Throughout the film he battles his inner beast by trying to escape the grasp of his mother in order to find love by traveling to Thailand and even hiding his girlfriend from his mother in an apartment. In the end, "Teddy Bear" ends up escaping the co-dependent cycle with his mother by moving out of his mother's house and moving in with his girlfriend and finds his love.

The true beauty of this film is found in it's theme of masculinity. The film redefines what it means to be a male. We have the image of a massive body builder being ruled and dominated by nothing more than a 90 pound woman. All he desires is love and freedom. In his quest he never uses his muscles or size to break free from the emotional tyranny. It is his heart and mind that breaks free from his mother and flies towards dreams of love. The woman he ends up falling in love with is no bigger than a thimble. The same message is told in his love life. Love has nothing to do with power. It's a beautiful reminder and example to all male's that masculinity has nothing to do with physical prowess. It's a good reminder to all male's that being a true male means using your heart is a passive manner. Love and freedom manifest through thought and emotion, not power and anger. Hopefully people who view this film will redirect their view of masculinity. It has to do with the intellect and matters of the heart.

Lastly, and on a cheesy note. I think the film maker was trying to tell a story that we are all capable of finding love regardless of our background, family issues, and current situations. Big or small, trapped or free, love is possible.

Directed by Mads Matthiesen, who co-wrote the screenplay with Martin Zandvliet, this is a disturbing movie about a very likable guy, the teddy bear of the title.

Dennis is a professional body builder, a huge hulking man who is a gentle giant of 38. He still lives with his mother in her home, and at first I thought she suffered from dementia because of the ultra politeness of Dennis's dealings with her, never arguing, doing whatever she said, sharing the bathroom with her in the mornings. However, it became clear that his mother was a controlling, very subtle monster who kept her son at a pre-school level in their relationship. Dennis is played very well by Kim Kold in what appears to be his first, maybe only movie appearance. Kold is indeed a professional body builder. His mother is played by Elsebeth Steentoft, a professional actress who is incredibly expressive without moving a muscle. Most of the cast have no other movie experience, and Matthiesen did a wonderful job getting a professional quality performance from everyone.

The plot of the movie is whether Dennis can separate himself from his mother, and I found my self rooting for him along the way. His disagreements with his mother never have raised voices, are based on her subtle manipulation of his feelings toward her, and require her to keep him as her little boy. She refers occasionally to men being disappointments and to Dennis's father, whom Dennis never knew, and her greatest reproof of Dennis is to tell him that he's like his father. The struggle for control over Dennis's freedom is never out in the open.

Dennis's struggle is as subtle as his mother's control, so the drama of his journey is without rage or tears. Just the lonely journey to independence that he should have taken as a boy, made more difficult by decades of manipulation by his mother. Kold does an excellent job showing the internal conflict without emoting. It's a very good movie.

I have the movie on a DVD from filmmovement.com, and the DVD contains two short features by Matthiesen. I don't know whether this is one sick dude or he just likes to explore sick relationships. One of the features is "Dennis," a short version of "Teddy Bear" which shows more of the relationship between Dennis and his mother. The other feature is "Cathrine," which explores the relationship between an overweight 16-year-old girl and a 33-year-old man. As in "Dennis" and "Teddy Bear," Cathrine's parents are controlling, but you can't root for a girl to break free with a man that old -- out of the frying pan and into the fire, I fear.

I can see why this film won the directing award at the Sundance Film Festival. This film totally pulled you into the title character fairly quickly. Right from the start you could tell that Dennis (Kim Kold) was very socially inept and was so endearing that you almost felt sorry for him. Director and writer Mads Matthiesen framed this film very well and kept you rooting for Dennis , hoping that he would gain enough courage to stand up to his dependent (and possibly also socially inept) mother. By the way, I was recently educated on the name Mads and it is a very common name in Denmark (in case anyone was wondering). Dennis, who is a championship body-builder is a very dedicated son and has apparently been his mother's sole friend all of his life. Once he sees that his friend has gone overseas to Thailand and return with a wife, Dennis decides to do some wife hunting of his own. The fact that he has to lie to his mother about where he is going is a strong indication of how unhealthy their relationship really is. Once in Thailand, Dennis discovers that there are not a lot of "good" girls around until he stumbles upon a gym and meets the owner Toi (Lamaiporn Hougaard). The fact that Toi takes the time to show him around the city and introduces him to the local culture quickly brings her up to the level of "potential" wife. Once Dennis is back home in Denmark, the lies continue and mom is thrilled to have him back home under her control (or so she thinks). There are really no surprises in this film, but it was very entertaining to see it play out. I guess the film proves that although you may be able to lift small trucks over your head, you can still be very vulnerable and unsure of yourself. In the end, Dennis did turn out to be a big ole teddy bear; however I would have probably considered calling the film Mama's Boy (smile). I am not sure if this film will ever be released to the general public, but it is one of the better foreign films that I have seen. I do have to warn that there are some sub-titles in the film, however they are very few and not at all difficult to keep up with. I liked the film, but did not love it so I am giving it an amber light.

"Where along the way did so many parents around the world forget that chickadees grow up and must stretch their wings and leave the nest?"

*NOTE - If you're here to read reviews before seeing this movie...if at all possible, watch the 'short' simply titled "Dennis" BEFORE watching this - they're directly connected.

I was channel-surfing and came upon the 'short' "Dennis" on "The Film Fest" channel and decided to watch...and, it was as good as it was disturbing. Then, I also found "Teddy Bear" on the 'same' channel - even better, but, no less disturbing.

This is a very well-made movie and good story that hits very close to home for me, and...I'm sure, for most everyone else who's seen it. Over the years, I've actually had friends, and, girlfriends, who, if not for a bossy and dominating parent, or parents, would have been quite happier and more successful in their social and professional lives; not to mention, their own 'parental' lives.

"Teddy Bear" is about this same kind of typical clingy, lonely, and, selfish mom who just cannot let go of her very-adult son; and, the brainwashed adult son who's never left mommy's home and has been raised to believe that his 'mom' is, and, always will be, the focal point of his life and the only woman who will ever love him!?!? The entire concept of this is abnormal and disgusting, but, it happens all over the world, every day...usually, but, not limited to, moms and their 'momma's-boy' sons.

Right away, you can tell that 'Dennis,' the protagonist, is a very good, honest, gentle, and, respectful man who has a bright future both socially and professionally; but, he's also a 38-year-old, socially-odd prisoner in this own limited world that is run by his mom who's 'trained' him since conception that 'mommy knows best' and 'mommy is best.' She also tells Dennis that "Men can't be trusted," but, oddly, she keeps Dennis, a man, at home with her!?!? Seems to me that 'mom' would be doing the 'female-world' a big favor by releasing her son unto them as he obviously 'can' be trusted to be good to a woman since 'she's' kept him around her all of his life!?!? No! She's clingy, lonely, and, selfish!

Dennis' mom always wants to know where Dennis is; whom he's with; whom he was with; what he's doing; what he's been doing; etc. (I couldn't stand my mom asking me these questions when I was 10!). My parents cut me loose when I was 18; but, I've had friendships and relationships ruined because of parents just like the mom depicted in this movie, and,...it's pathetic! I couldn't believe that these adult-friends of mine actually listened to their parents when orders were barked at them as if we were all kids again!?!? It's a sickening situation somewhere in between 'Bobby Boucher' in "The Waterboy" and 'Norman Bates' in "Psycho."

Even before it ever happened, I could read Dennis' mom like a Greek tragedy, as I've been there before! I knew it was coming, but, before he even mentioned the word 'girlfriend' to his mom, I knew she'd become all 'woe is me;' and, 'what about me;' and, 'how could you do this to me;' and, 'ME, ME, ME!' Never "DENNIS"...only "ME!" This movie is an exact blueprint for how parents shouldn't be towards their adult sons and daughters; and, at the same time, a reverse-barometer of how adult sons and daughters shouldn't react to their parents and their interference...show a mind of your own and some backbone!

I can't remember where, but, I'm certain that I once read something along the lines of "When you get married, you divorce your parents."

Parents, the world over, should wise-up to this concept; and, adult-children who still feel the need to remain fledglings should do the same and 'grow up!' This kind of 'parental domination' can not only prevent relationships and marriage, but, it can cause divorce! This kind of domineering parent will also breed contempt in a child; as well as get the child to lie to the parent when they want something, or, want to do something, that they know the parent will object to...which is anything and everything that doesn't include the parent.

Dennis is a great guy, but, he's been conditioned all his life to be a life-long servant by and to a mom who married a man who was an alcoholic (probably because she pulled these same stunts and guilt-trips with hubby and it drove him to drinking!?!?).

Dennis' mom is a 'ball-and-chain-pain-in-the-butt' who couldn't imprison her husband, so, she turned to her son for the same attention and subservience. Clinically speaking, Dennis' mom is a 'urogenital opening just anterior to the anus.' (I had to give this definition as vulgarity is forbidden on IMDb...but, you get the gist).

This is a very good movie that opens up a lot of eyes and minds; but, it also opens up a lot of old wounds and bad memories of friends who could'a, should'a, would'a been...if not for a parent like this!?!?.

BOTTOM LINE - If you have a good son/daughter like Dennis...don't be a bad mom like Ingrid! Let him/her go out and enrich the world! :)

The movie is well made from a technical standpoint. There is no doubt about that. But I think a better name would have been Brontosaurus. The lead character is not a lovable teddy bear and does not come off as a person you have sympathy for. He is strange, slow witted, and this film empowers the belief that all bodybuilders are dumb and simple which is not a fair description. However, this movie accurately gives an example of how so many weirdo white guys go to Thailand because they can't get normal women to date them. The last step before they become serial killers. The scene with the mother in the bathroom illustrates the unnatural relationship they have. If the mother in this film would have owned a motel, this would have been another version of Psycho. I don't care that he eventually finds love - his life journey to get there grossed me out.

Interesting idea for a film, but rather slow-paced which hurts the film. In the long run. I just couldn't feel for the character. I kept trying to figure out who the lead actor reminded me of. I came away with Bo Svenson via Lou Ferrigno.