After the Wedding (B or 3/4 stars)
Danish melodrama anyone? Directed by Susanne Bier and nominated for Best Foreign film of 2006, 'After the Wedding' is plot twisty enough to hold attention. Jacob Petersen (Mads Mikkelsen) has dedicated his life, however rocky it may be, to helping orphans in India. When his orphanage is threatened to be closed down, he receives a donation offer from a fellow Danish businessman, Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard). But there are conditions: Jacob would have to return to Denmark for good & manage from afar. And he'd have to accept an invitation to Jorgen's daughter's wedding the next day. At this wedding, and thereafter, Jacob discovers and is thrust into a devastating, life-altering secret. Mads Mikkelsen and the screenplay makes this an uneven but extremely compelling film.
Jacob's struggled for 8 yrs. to keep the orphanage running. But after Jorgen's corporation offers a multi-million dollar donation, Jacob knows that he must go home, face some demons, and close out this much needed deal. This means he'll have to leave Pramod, the little boy he's cared for since birth. Once he arrives in Copenhagen, he's put up in a brilliant 5-star hotel (quite the contrast from India's dismal conditions). Jorgen invites Jacob to the wedding. There, he coincidentally meets a former ex, Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen). There are major reasons why their relationship never lasted, but I won't go into those. Oh, have I mentioned that she just happens to be Jorgen's wife? The bride, Anna, makes a toast and divulges a secret that then rocks Jacob, Jorgen, and Helene's lives.
Suspicions, anger, confusion, frustration, & heartbreak ensue. Without giving away the intricate plot details, let's just say, Jacob is confronted with a string of secrets that will change the course of his life (added responsibilities, where he'll live, who he'll be with, what to do with current relationships, with his orphanage, etc.). Jorgen is faced with a grim decision & is angry with the cards life has dealt him. Helene is forced to be a bystander in a vulnerable situation. And she's forced to reconcile with her newly-wed daughter. And Anna has the most to deal with. Within the space of a few days, not 1, not 2, but 3 people deceive her. An ultimate decision has to be made about the fate of their lives. Imagining myself in their bizarre situation, I don't know HOW I'd handle it.
In this tale of family secrets, lives are at stake, money is at stake, marriages, professions, etc. The plot starts slow & pleasantly, but creeps up on you and before long, your head is spinning from the directions its taking. The story in original & unusual. Perhaps it relies on coincidence and contrivance a bit, but the story is what it is; like or it not. The strength in the film are the actors, the camerawork (parallel close-ups of eyes, and facial reactions), the powerful climax, & the direction. The characters 'look' and act like real people. Their emotions and reactions are raw & authentic. You'd think you were watching yourself onscreen (i.e., Oh, 'I'd have said that'; or 'I'd do that, too'). Mads Mikkelsen's cryptic, mysterious, muted acting is fantastic here. The character study in this film is stellar. It won't be for everyone. I'm not jumping out of my seat. But like any good movie, you'll still feel the weight of the film after it's over.
Jacob's struggled for 8 yrs. to keep the orphanage running. But after Jorgen's corporation offers a multi-million dollar donation, Jacob knows that he must go home, face some demons, and close out this much needed deal. This means he'll have to leave Pramod, the little boy he's cared for since birth. Once he arrives in Copenhagen, he's put up in a brilliant 5-star hotel (quite the contrast from India's dismal conditions). Jorgen invites Jacob to the wedding. There, he coincidentally meets a former ex, Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen). There are major reasons why their relationship never lasted, but I won't go into those. Oh, have I mentioned that she just happens to be Jorgen's wife? The bride, Anna, makes a toast and divulges a secret that then rocks Jacob, Jorgen, and Helene's lives.
Suspicions, anger, confusion, frustration, & heartbreak ensue. Without giving away the intricate plot details, let's just say, Jacob is confronted with a string of secrets that will change the course of his life (added responsibilities, where he'll live, who he'll be with, what to do with current relationships, with his orphanage, etc.). Jorgen is faced with a grim decision & is angry with the cards life has dealt him. Helene is forced to be a bystander in a vulnerable situation. And she's forced to reconcile with her newly-wed daughter. And Anna has the most to deal with. Within the space of a few days, not 1, not 2, but 3 people deceive her. An ultimate decision has to be made about the fate of their lives. Imagining myself in their bizarre situation, I don't know HOW I'd handle it.
In this tale of family secrets, lives are at stake, money is at stake, marriages, professions, etc. The plot starts slow & pleasantly, but creeps up on you and before long, your head is spinning from the directions its taking. The story in original & unusual. Perhaps it relies on coincidence and contrivance a bit, but the story is what it is; like or it not. The strength in the film are the actors, the camerawork (parallel close-ups of eyes, and facial reactions), the powerful climax, & the direction. The characters 'look' and act like real people. Their emotions and reactions are raw & authentic. You'd think you were watching yourself onscreen (i.e., Oh, 'I'd have said that'; or 'I'd do that, too'). Mads Mikkelsen's cryptic, mysterious, muted acting is fantastic here. The character study in this film is stellar. It won't be for everyone. I'm not jumping out of my seat. But like any good movie, you'll still feel the weight of the film after it's over.