A film that reaches to my core and finds something pure...
Added 6/17/2009
I truly respect director Susanne Bier for not conforming to the types of films society often embraces but actually really working to create something that feels real and pure within her work. Even in her English speaking film `Things We Lost in the Fire' she never shied away from presenting the audience with something uncomfortable if she knew it was `real'.
Of all her work, I feel that `Efter Brylluppet' is her best.
We all know the term `misery loves company' and if you've read my reviews long enough to know the types of films I often indulge you'd know that that phrase can be applied to my preferred entertainment choice. I love a film that can move me to tears and tear me down because it produces something real in me; a real emotional connection to the material. Thus, the film becomes something so much more than just `entertainment'; it becomes a part of my soul. `Efter Brylluppet' is not that depressing but it does produce something in me, something raw and unforgettable. The film filters through so many emotions on screen and it elicits so many emotions off screen. It's such a well rounded emotional rollercoaster and I love that about it. You can feel something for every character, but what makes this movie so amazing is that you feel so many different things about each character. There is no designated villain, no designated hero, no designated victim. Everyone is all of the above at one time or another and thus each and every character becomes so much more than just a `character', they become human.
The film tells the story of Jacob, a man working in an orphanage in Bombay. When funds run low and he becomes desperate he travels to Copenhagen to meet with a wealthy man offering to `consider' his orphanage for a large donation. The catch is that he must stay and attend the man's daughter's wedding. It turns out that this man, Jorgen, is married to Jacob's ex-girlfriend Helene who happens to have bore her daughter, Anna, out of wedlock. If you aren't following then I'll put it a little blunter.
It appears that Jacob may actually be Anna's father.
This is the immediate surprise, but it is not the only one, in this masterfully crafted weep fest by Bier. Each character has so much to say, and each and every word seems to help complete and or flesh out the person next to them. Each person is so connected and reliant on those around them.
`Efter Brylluppet' exposes the beautiful side of human connection; trust me.
The acting here is also outstanding from everyone involved. Mads Mikkelsen is wonderfully controlled as Jacob, allowing his eyes to expose what his character is always trying to conceal. I also really loved what Rolf Lassgard did with the character of Jorgen. He takes this man and creates someone who appears one thing, so mysterious and someone guarded, and exposes his secret in such a desperate and crushingly realistic way. It's a beautiful (and heartbreaking) transformation. As great as the two men are, Sidse Babett Knudsen is even better. As Helene, she really has to carry a lot of the emotional weight of the film (it was her cross to bear) and she does so with such raw connection and flawless control.
Such a stunning performance.
So, to bring us back to my initial statement, about `misery loving company' and all that. The reason I brought that up is because, as some of you know, I love films that embellish the miseries in life. I often find that a films `happy ending' is a falsity and that it takes away from the gritty realities I like to see in my cinema. What is so beautiful about `Efter Brylluppet' is that I turned my whole opinion on its head. This is a film that, yes, focuses on some of life's miseries, but the end result is something so beautifully complete that it sparked in me a realistic idea of hope. No, the ending is not all roses and candy, but it lessens the bleak with a believable display of picking up, moving on and doing the right thing.
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Well-Acted Drama
Added 6/5/2009
This subtitled Danish film give us an enjoyably nuanced and intruiging story of life and morality among attractive and successful people undergoing serious life crises. Many interesting twists contribute to suspense and poignancy. On the other hand, I really could have done without the artsy camera work and vertigo-inducing visual sweeps.
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A Danish melodrama with substance
Added 4/24/2009
"After the Wedding" was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2007 and is directed by Susanne Bier [whose other credits include Brothers]. The story centers on human relationships, and the tangled webs that connect one individual to another, as well as family ties.
Jacob [Mads Mikkelsen, more familiar as the villain from Casino Royale] has devoted his time and many years to establishing humanitarian projects in India. He is told that the orphanage he is working in is running low on funds and is persuaded by the director of the orphanage to return to Denmark to negotiate a possible deal, a large donation from a prominent businessman. When Jacob arrives in Denmark, he meets Jorgen [Rolf Larsson] who seems almost uninterested in the details about the orphanage and doesn't give an immediate answer as to whether he will bail out the orphanage. Jorgen then insists that Jacob attend Jorgen's daughter's wedding, and Jacob reluctantly agrees.
At the wedding, Jacob is stunned to discover that Jorgen's wife is Helene, a woman from Jacob's past. Soon after this meeting, the drama escalates, as Jacob begins to feel he is some sort of pawn in a game orchestrated by Jorgen. Needless to say, all is not as it seems and Jacob questions Jorgen's motives, as does Helene.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this movie, and at times, it does appear contrived, but the excellent acting, especially by the actors playing Jorgen, Jacob and Helene, as well as the assured direction elevates this movie above a regular melodrama. There are some truly poignant moments that had me all weepy, but this is after all a drama about human frailties and the complex ties that bind people to one another.
The DVD comes with extra features such as a 2006 interview with the director [in Danish], 8 deleted scenes,and an eight-min featurette that has a movie critic discussing the deleted scenes with the director. Total running time is 1 hr 59 mins, and the language options are:
Danish 5.1 Dolby Digital
English Subtitles
Spanish Subtitles
English Captions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Conclusion - excellent Danish drama with substance.
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Superb Movie
Added 1/26/2009
One of the best movies I have seen for a long while - quite an extraordinary story - one of the most moving I have seen as in some respects it is so believable - nothing is overdone here, and the twists in the plot come thick and fast. All Suzanne Bier's films are good - The Brothers/Open Heart are two recent ones very much worth watching - but this is even better. Watch it.
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If only Hollywood could offer something this good
Added 12/4/2008
I saw the previews for this movie while waiting for my main feature it seemed interesting so I remembered the title and I am so glad I did. Excellent story, excellent acting without it be overdramatized. I will add this to my collection.
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