Image: Netflix

The new world music drama from Denmark, A beautiful lifenow it’s streaming, but should i give it a watch?

Christopher, multi-platinum-winning artist (Tuscany) offers his first leading role in A Beautiful Life, a musical drama set in his native Denmark.

Christopher plays Elliott, a young fisherman with an extraordinary voice, who is given the opportunity of a lifetime when he is discovered by the high-profile, successful music manager, Suzanne (Christine Albeck Borge). He soon sets Elliott up with his estranged daughter and music producer, Lilly. On the road to becoming a star, past struggles threaten not only his breakthrough, but also his budding love affair with Lily (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas).

Article continues below…

Directed by Mehdi Avaz (Tuscany), A Beautiful Life is a clear showcase for Christopher and his talents as a singer-songwriter, with the possibility of adding crossover success in the United States to his resume.

Christopher, one of Denmark’s biggest pop stars, has diversified in the last three years, having managed to have several #1 records in Asia and Top 20 records in areas of Europe. However, to become a global sensation, she would need a bigger platform to spread her talents.

Enter Netflix and A Beautiful Life.

«The creative process and journey of making A Beautiful Life, both the film and the soundtrack, began over 3 years ago, so finally sharing it with you feels amazing.» Christopher said in a video he made for Spotify.

Featuring nine all-new original songs, including the title track that features prominently in the film’s final moments, A beautiful life it seems to be a perfect vehicle for him and seems to reflect some of Christopher’s more personal real-life experiences.

In another video message to Spotify, Christopher explained how the project and title track came together.

“This is how it all started. I remember writing this song because my wife came to me and she told me that she was pregnant with our first child. And she became the core of the whole thing. It’s a very personal song and very close to my heart and probably one of the best songs I’ve ever written.»

While his musical acumen was never in doubt, his acting chops would be up for debate as he’s front and center for the first time in a film that has some strong emotional themes throughout.

«It’s about love. Not only about music, but also for your friends and family. It’s about mourning. It’s about breaking patterns. But, most importantly to me, I feel like this movie is about taking advantage of the opportunities that life offers you and finding your voice and finding your people.»

A Beautiful Life Netflix June 2023

Image: Netflix

At its best, the movie is about all of those things. The love connection between Elliott and Lily is fraught with obstacles in the form of family tragedies and absent parents, sometimes elevating the story from the standard musicians-to-fame arc we’ve all seen and heard ad nauseam.

We also get a secondhand account of the dangers of pop stardom with the big shadow and warning from Lilly’s father and Suzanne’s husband, a musician who dominated the charts and toured obsessively to the detriment of his family and mental health. . The shrapnel left behind by his untimely death is also one of the centerpieces that makes this film stray from the cliché in sections.

Ultimately, the movie works when the pacing is slow and subtle, the relationship between Elliott and Lilly is blossoming, and the songs are forming in real time. Many of the songs are beautifully constructed and work to touch the heart of their audience.

However, the movie doesn’t do well when it changes the script in the parts of the story that rise to fame. While it’s understandable to create villains out of jealous friends and desperate parents, the change in tone and loss of momentum is all too apparent and not handled well. To further complicate matters, the character of Patrick is used all too often as a key figure in discussions with Elliott that don’t make logistical sense. Their relationship with each other seems superficial and professional at best, but the film creates multiple moments where Elliott’s state of mind and stomach for the onslaught of newfound fame are called into question with Patrick the only guide to help him.

a danish musical drama of a beautiful life coming to netflix in june 2023 christopher

Image: Netflix

Will any of these story inconsistencies matter to Christopher’s core audience of fans and suckers for a good melodrama? I doubt it. The memorable songs and stunning performance by Christopher himself will make many of the film’s problems go away as will Lilly’s reaction to him in the film’s final minutes.

In general, A beautiful life It could expand Christopher’s musical career on a global scale with certain songs from the film already reaching over half a million streams on Spotify, but the story won’t live in viewers’ minds beyond the first viewing. Reluctant music stars getting scared of their newfound fame are nothing new or special, but the songs and chemistry in their making may have a little more mileage.


Look A beautiful life on Netflix if you like:

  • purple hearts
  • I used to be famous
  • coda
  • A star has been born
  • Tuscany

Netflix MVP A beautiful life

CHRISTOPHER as ELLIOTT

While I thought Elliott and Lilly as a couple worked well in their more intimate scenes of creative passion, Christopher’s performance as Elliott, particularly in performing his character’s hit songs, makes the movie stand out when it needs to. It shows enough of a range between his melancholic beginnings as an orphaned fisherman and his development as a musical talent to make many of the film’s key scenes work. This is his star vehicle and he makes the most of it.

PLAY, PAUSE OR STOP?

PAUSE.

Just when you think the movie is getting too boring or too clichéd, you hear a song or story that makes it worth the effort. But ultimately, it IS a bit messy and cliché to fully endorse it.