Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You Can't Go Home Again, 1 April 2007
Jacob, doing humanitarian work at an Indian children's refuge, (the erstwhile "Casino Royale" villain, Mads Mikkelsen) doesn't know what to think when his superior tells him that a prospective benefactor ( Rolf Lassgard in a heart wrenching performance as Jorgen) requires Jacob to return, after twenty years, to Denmark so that the refuge can receive a huge donation. So as much as Jacob dislikes the idea, and at this point we know not why, he returns to Denmark in Susanne Bier's remarkable, emotionally charged, sometimes even overwrought "After the Wedding."
Bier has composed this film in much the same way as a Verismo opera: scenes of confrontation, scenes of enlightenment, scenes of disclosure are piled one on top of the other as the film slithers insinuatingly towards its tragic yet redemptive denouement.
All of the main characters: Jacob, Jorgen, Jorgen's wife Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen in a mature, sexy performance) and Helene and Jorgen's daughter, Anna (Stine Fischer Christiansen: young, fresh, committed) are transformed, turned around and pointed in another direction psychically and physically by film's end due to the catastrophic upheavals that they endure during the course of this amazing film. Bier is dealing with Melodrama here, with a capital "M." Melodrama done up right: not as a joke but as serious and humane as the Master's of this genre: Almodovar and Douglas Sirk ("Written on the Wind") to name a couple.
Mikkelsen's Jacob, due in a large part to Mikkelsen's hang-dog, stoic physical appearance, is an empty vessel at the beginning of this film. His work at the refuge is fulfilling and good yet you can't help feeling that Jacob is hiding from life rather than contributing to it and that his reluctance to venture back home to Denmark is his way of primarily keeping his past at arm's length. By the end, Jacob is transformed, filled up, overflowing by way of the redemptive powers of confession and acceptance: he's been opened, upended, turned inside out.
Don't come to Bier's world of "After the Wedding" expecting to be lulled into anything resembling a calm, quiet mood...you will genuinely be unsettled. Do come to "After the Wedding," in many ways similar to "The Celebration," expecting to squirm in your seat, to have your guts wrenched with the terrific bravura acting of this ensemble of actors, to cry your eyes out at scenes of transcendental beauty and truth. This film will challenge you not to react and therefore in one way or another you will react due in large part to Bier's compassionate mise en scene. A mise en scene rife with humanity and love.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Please, you owe the children that much", 6 Dec 2007
It has been a long time since I was scared of writing a review, but this is one of those cases. This film is extraordinary, and therefore, I fear not being able to convey the extent of its qualities. Having said that, this is not a movie for everyone, since it develops at a slow pace and, in the typical fashion of Scandinavian movies, spends quite a bit of time contemplating the faces of the actors, in order to allow the viewer to understand their emotions. However, unless the pace is something that really bothers you, this is a movie that you cannot afford to miss.
Jacob is working in India helping homeless children, and in an effort to secure funds for his quest, sees himself forced to travel back home, to Denmark, to meet with the CEO of an important corporation. Upon his arrival, he meets this affable family man, Jorgen, who promptly asks him to stay over the weekend and attend his daughter's wedding. When Jacob sees Jorgen's wife, he realizes that he already knows her, and when a speech by the bride reveals unsettling information, things get complicated really fast. After that, emotions rise to the surface and we witness one of the most beautiful and moving stories I have seen in a long time.
This film not only has a wonderful plot as a backbone, but also counts with an astounding cast, all of whom play their roles to perfection, and excellent cinematography. The use of the cameras, especially with close-ups of the eyes when emotional scenes are developing, works perfectly. As if this was not enough, the little I know about Scandinavian culture was proficiently presented. I attended a friend's wedding in Sweden earlier this year and I was amazed at how similar this was to what they showed in the movie. I have always been a fan of Scandinavian productions, but this film is at a higher level than most. Simply brilliant!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best of 2007: NO: 06, 11 Mar 2008
By reading the blurb on the back of the dvd one would be forgiven for finding the storyline completely uninspiring with huge potential for gross mellodrama. Fortunately Sussanne Bier has this incredible talent as a director to get the very very best from her actors which raise this film way above my initial expectations.
The story is of Jacob a manager of an orphanage in India who is sent to Copenhagen to get funding. Once there his past comes back to haunt him, to say anymore would be to give most of the suprises away which would be a shame as this is definately a film that benefits from knowing absolutely nothing about it.
Fabulous performances from the four main actors especially Mads Mikkelsen as Jacob and Stine Fischer Christensen as the Bride. What really impresses about this film is the direction which is absolutely perfect, filmed in a style that makes it feel very real. On more than one occasion I forgot I was watching a film with actors, this was mostly prevolent in one particularly memorable scene involving the mother and father of the bride where the father has recieved some bad news and is telling his wife. Filmed in their bedroom this felt more real than many reality tv shows.
To conclude this is World cinema at its brutal best involving some brilliant naturalistic performances, directed with aplomb by Bier. Superb.
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