ADAM'S APPLES (DENMARK/2005/ANDERS THOMAS JENSEN)

Following a spell in prison, a neo-Nazi skinhead named Adam is sent to a religious commune to work amongst fellow sinners, a state of affairs he takes time to adjust to. Ivan, the tolerant pastor of the commune, negotiates Adam down to the simple goal of baking a pie using apples from the churchyard, but after a series of unfortunate incidents renders all the apples inedible, Adam’s unruly side is reignited. Later on, Adam learns that Ivan’s wife committed suicide having not known how to deal with their son’s cerebral palsy, and bottling his own emotions up has left Ivan with a dangerous brain tumour. At first, Adam acts indifferently, but when his white supremacist colleagues wreak havoc at the church, he is forced to question his beliefs.

In spite of its biblical overtones and controversial themes, Adam’s Apples has a brilliant sense of humour and undeniable universal appeal. Using a whole host of colourful supporting characters, director Anders Thomas Jensen ensures that every subplot and nuance is interesting, and manages to show the humanity in even the most loathsome individuals. Former Bond villains Ulrich Thomsen and Mads Mikkelsen shine in their respective roles as Adam and Ivan, between them generating a believable tension. But it is Ole Thestrup as Ivan’s hilariously uncaring doctor who arguably steals the show, eliciting some of the film’s biggest laughs. Watch with caution if you are easily offended, but there is more than enough in this heartening comedy that almost everyone will be entertained.