Love At First Hiccough

Victor has a serious crush on Anja. First problem is that he's an awkward 10th-grader, while she's a seemingly sophisticated twelfth grader. Second problem is, she's already got a boyfriend, the supremely self-confident, Porsche-driving, Rolex-wearing Peter.

An embarrassing incident at a party causes Anja to notice Victor for the first time. Perhaps he does have a chance after all. Then, hiding in the school toilets, he overhears Peter plotting with Anja's friend Gitte. Peter wants to add Anja to his list of conquests - which already includes Gitte - but Anja is reluctant to have sex with him. Can Victor save Anja from Peter and win her heart for himself?

The last couple of years have seen a spate of movies about the complicated romantic and sexual lives of American teenagers. Some, like American Pie, with its surprisingly romantic sensibility beneath the crude gags, have been very good. Others, like She's All That, with its pernicious subtext of conformity, are best forgotten..

This Danish interpretation from young actor turned director Tomas Villum Jensen belongs at the very top of the heap. While not as crude as American Pie - the famous Scandinavian openness about sexual matters mitigates against gross-out humour - Love At First Hiccough has an equally wise and romantic heart. We've all been teenagers and we've all experienced the ridiculous wonders of desire.

Only the teenagers find the boy-girl thing difficult. Their parents have seen it all before and try to show they understand, while their younger siblings don't yet fully understand what the fuss is about, throwing inappropriate language and comments about with hilarious aplomb.

The writing is sharp and the characterisations of Victor and Anja winning. And Danish romantic pop ballads have never sounded so good.

A funny, warm, winning romantic comedy that proves there's more to contemporary Danish cinema than Lars von Trier and his Dogme buddies, Love At First Hiccough is a little gem of a film.