By way of introduction, Marietta is one of our valued APPLEBOX members and resident film critic. She has kindly agreed to review ‘After The Wedding’ for us, and so here are her thoughts.

REVIEWER: MARIETTA ELLIOTT
AFTER THE WEDDING (EFTER BRYLLUPET)
DENMARK, 2006
Writer/Director Susanne Bier. Co-writer Anders Thomas Jensen.

AFTER THE WEDDING begins in India, where Danish aid worker Jacob, (MADS MIKKELSON), is helping to run an orphanage. Jacob has become almost a father figure to Pramod, one of the children. He doesn’t want to return, but when a potential benefactor summons him home to Denmark he is forced to comply. The benefactor is wealthy businessman Jørgen, (ROLF LASSGÅRD), a man used to having his way. His daughter, Anna (STINE FISCHER CHRISTENSEN), is getting married and he invites Jacob to the wedding. Anna knows that Jørgen is not her biological father but she has never been told who this is. She is in for a shock, and so is Jacob.

There are other secrets kept by Jørgen and his wife, Helene (SIDSE BABETTE KNUDSEN) in this intense family tale which borders on melodrama. I would agree with David (’At the Movies’), that the story is a bit ‘contrived’. I was also disturbed by the film’s ending. Jørgen, whose money has made him powerful, is manipulating the lives of others so that his family will be taken care of when he dies. However, should one person be granted so much power? Is it realistic to assume that Helene and Jacob would go along with his plans? Susanne Bier, in an interview (on the DVD) said she did not necessarily agree with the notion that someone should be able to use their money in this way, but the ending of the film suggests otherwise.

I also agree with David that the extreme close-ups of faces can be distracting, although they do contribute to the claustrophobic intensity of the atmosphere.

However, the film has a number of redeeming features. First, it explores the issues of ’secrets’ between members of a family, at the same time redefining the idea of family: who is Anna’s real father – her biological parent or the person who has cared for her? And will Jacob take on the fathering of Jørgen’s children? What about Jacob’s relationship with the Indian child Pramod?

The other important issue the film has raised, which is related to that of family and duty of care, is that of international aid. Jørgen is portrayed as a caring man, loving to his wife and children. But Jacob is sceptical as to his true motivation for setting up a fund, to be administered by himself and Anna. Does he really care about Indian orphans? Does it matter? (Pramod finds conditions at the orphanage much improved and is in no hurry to leave, so refuses Jacob’s invitation to join him in Denmark.)

For me, the most moving portrayal is Anna: her distress as she learns of the identity of her biological father; the truth about Jørgen’s state of health and of her husband’s cheating. The fine acting reflects both Anna’s vulnerability and her strength as she tries to cope with this new reality. (The revelations are piled up in an incredibly brief time-frame).

SUMMARY: An intense, well-acted, family melodrama which touches on significant issues but is ultimately contrived and leaves some questions unanswered. (Did Jørgen know who Jacob was when he summoned him to Denmark?)

David gives this film 3 1/2 stars and Margaret gives it 4. (At the Movies). I would give it 3.

Posted January 19th, 2008 under Movie Reviews.
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