Borgen: Season 2 Complete (The Government) (DVD) (Region 2) (Import)

The second series (episodes 11 to 20) of the BAFTA award winning Borgen screened between September and November 2011 in Denmark and commanded an average 53% audience share for DR1. Borgen revolves around Prime Minister Birgitte Nyborg Christensen (Sidse Babett Knudsen), her media adviser Kasper Juul (Pilou Asbæk) and journalist Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) and the struggles in their private and professional lives.
Sidse Babett Knudsen is even more astounding than in series 1. Hearing her character Birgitte speak in English from episode 11 was an absolute joy. As the series commences with episode 11, we see Birgitte in Afghanistan and debating whether or not Danish troops should remain in the country. More backstabbing back in Copenhagen follows with the selection of a new European commissioner. There's infighting at the very top of the Labour Party leading to a swift removal of their leader. This particular storyline had traces of actual events in UK politics involving Jacqui Smith's husband's viewing habits and the downfall of Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.
For those who have seen The Killing - Series 1 [DVD] [2010] and Borgen - Series 1 [DVD] you'll be happy to see that Søren Malling is back as TV1 news editor Torben Friis, although his appearances are less than in the first series. Bjarne Henriksen also returns in his role as Defence Minister. The Killing - Series 2 [DVD] fans will be pleased to see Mikael Birkkjær continue his role as Philip Christensen as well as Benedikte Hansen returning as journalist Hanne Holm. Birkkjær's appearances are less than in the first series.
Borgen Series 2 ensures that DR's (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) tradition of making quality drama continues. There are fine performances from all the regulars and guest stars too. Lars Brygmann is one of Denmark's finest actors and he is fantastic as Labour minister Troels Höxenhaven. For me though Sidse Babett Knudsen really is the star of the show. Luckily series 3 is already in production in Denmark.
Stand out episodes for me included episodes 11, 13, 14 and 20. As with series 1, the episodes contain many different political strands which seem to have me always wanting the best result for Birgitte.
Series 1 screened on BBC4 in January/February 2012. Similarly to The Killing, Borgen proves that it is not only the UK and USA as the only countries that can produce decent quality drama, Denmark is certainly up there with the big boys.
Looking forward to series 3!!

Enjoy!

Fans of Sidse Babett Knudsen may like to see her first ever film which has been recently released Let's Get Lost with Bjarne Henriksen and Nikolaj Kopernikus (both from The Killing 1) co-starring. You may like to take a look at three comedies featuring Sidse - Take the Trash ( Blå mænd ) featuring Troes Lyby (Let's Get Lost), Søren Malling (Meyer - The Killing / Torben Friis - Borgen) and Danish film actor Thure Lindhardt. Therapy ( Parterapi ) features Sidse with the another Danish film actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas (soon to be seen in The Killing 3) and Søren Pilmark who stars in the moving film Aftermath [DVD]. And from 2001 Chop Chop [DVD]. These three films easily confirm Sidse's comedy abilities.
Birgitte Hjort Sørensen also stars in the recently released Julie - en kamp om kærlighed from 2011. Pilou Asbæk can be seen in the 2010 drama A Family ( En familie ) ( Familien Rheinwald (Mia oikogeneia) ).

Missing The Killing and Borgen during BBC4's Italian period? Well here's a selection of Danish films that I have also seen. All have English subtitles and all are generally very good or excellent. I'll be placing reviews on each soon.

- The Bridge - a 10 part drama with Kim Bodnia (The Killing, Those Who Kill),

- Morden i Sandhamn - a three part mystery starring Danish based Swedish actor Jakob Cedergren from Those Who Kill,

- Dark Horse - with Nicolas Bro (The Killing 2) and Jakob Cedergren,

- Stealing Rembrandt - with Borgen's Lars Brygmann, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jakob Cedergren,

- Frygtelig lykkelig - fantastic film with Jakob Cedergren, Kim Bodnia and Lars Brygmann,

- Submarino - with Those Who Kill's Jakob Cedergren,

- Julefrokosten - a comedy with Borgen and The Killing star Søren Malling,

- Værelse 304 - with Mikael Birkkjær and Stine Stengade, alongside Swedish actor David Dencik from Those Who Kill,

- Kandidaten - a thriller with Nikolaj Lie Kaas - look out for Birgitte Hjort Sørensen (Katrine from Borgen) and Those Who Kill's Iben Dorner (Bendikte / Sanne from Borgen) ,

- Cecilie - a horror thriller starring Borgen's Claus Riis Østergaard, Pernille Agger and Mille Dinesen, The Killing's Lars Mikkelsen, Morten Suurballe, Kurt Ravn and Peder Holm Johansen along with Sonja Richter from the film Forbrydelser and Anders W. Berthelsen from Krøniken,

- Krøniken - a fantastic epic 20 episode drama set in the Fifies and Sixties starring The Killing's Ken Vedsegaard and Lars Mikkelsen

- Brotherhood - a neo-Nazi drama starring Swede David Dencik, Thure Lindhardt and The Killing's Nicolas Bro,

- Nightwatch - a horror starring The Killing's Sofie Gråbøl,

- Sekten - another horror starring The Killing's Sofie Gråbøl,

- In Your Hands - a prison based drama starring The Killing's Ann Eleonora Jørgensen and Nicolaj Kopernikus,

- Den Rette ånd - a comedy starring The Killing's Sofie Gråbøl, Ken Vedsegaard, Carsten Bjørnlund, Troels Munck alongside Borgen's Lisbeth Wulff,

- Italian For Beginners - a drama starring The Killing's Ann Eleonora Jørgensen,

- Matador - Complete Series - an epic drama starring The Killing's Bent Mejding,

- Den Blå Munk - an enjoyable drama set in a Copenhagen jazz bar briefly featuring a young Nicolaj Kopernikus and Jakob Cedergren from 1997,

- Smukke mennesker - a comedy drama with Sebastian Jessen from Borgen 2 along with one scene each from The Killing's Nicolas Bro, Benedikte Hansen, Carsten Bjørnlund and Kurt Ravn along with Dar Salim fróm Borgen,

- Sandheden om mænd - a comedy drama starring Thure Lindhardt and The Bridge's Henning Valin,

- Lotto - a comedy starring The Killing's Bjarne Henriksen and Nicolaj Kopernikus,

- Til døden os skiller - a comedy starring Borgen's Lars Brygmann and Sidse Babett Knudsen (just listen to her as an opera singer!!! - WOW!), along with The Killing's Nicolaj Kopernikus,

- Bag det stille ydre - with Jakob Cedergren,

- Springet - with Mikael Birkkjær of The Killing 2 and Borgen,

- Dig og mig

- Dansen,

- Alting bliver godt igen,

- Flugten,

- Anklaget,

- Kongekabale,

- Sorte kugler,

- Efter Bryllupet,

- De unge år,

- Brothers,

- Open Hearts,

- Af banen,

- Drabet,

- Offscreen,

- Old Men in New Cars,

- Truly Human,

- Allegro,

- Reconstruction,

- Prag,

- Flame And Citron,

- Pusher Trilogy,

- Exit,

- Shake It All About,

- Monas verden,

- Facing The Truth,

- Nordkraft,

- Flickering Lights,

- Fluerne på væggen,

- Bleeder,

- R, Hit First, Hit Hardest,

- Those Who Kill - Series 1,

- Næste skridt,

- Bagland,

- The Boss of it All.

Sorry they all could not be linked, but Amazon restricts to ten links per review. More to be added soon.

If you can play DVDs from USA (Region 1) with no problem, have a look at PROOF from 2004. Proof is an Irish thriller starring Sidse as an Albanian woman who has been living in Copenhagen after defecting but has now turned up in Dublin searching for her sister believed dead. Proof is excellent and is well worth a watch. The set has four 50 minute episodes with Sidse speaking in English throughout.

This series just gets better and better. We had to restrict ourselves to watching two a night. Otherwise we would be up until the small hours.