After the Wedding

FLICK Before the wedding, we see Jacob, an aid worker at a struggling orphanage in India, prepare to travel to Copenhagen for a meeting with Jorgen, an affluent businessman considering making a large donation to the institution. While there, alone and waiting for a decision, Jacob accepts Jorgen’s invitation to attend the wedding of his daughter. Things appear to go well but, as the title suggests, it’s after the wedding where the shit hits the fan.
The seemingly random events and plot twists that follow in After the Wedding (Efter Bryllupet) would appear conveniently coincidental and melodramatic in a lesser film but detailed direction and strong performances elevate the material to justify its Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language film.
Director Susanne Bier effectively marries jolting jump cuts with extreme close-ups to heighten the tension during intimate moments and to poetically expose inner conflicts. The animal motif, both living and stuffed, may suggest nobility and triumph but also signifies that there is no escaping a life-and-death situation.
Contrasting the extravagantly wealthy with the poor, as well as parental responsibility, is central and clashes not only when Jacob’s bond extends to and beyond one of the orphan boys, but when posed with a financial ultimatum. As Jacob, Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) has a strong screen presence that is softened with the ill-fitted earth-toned suit he wears. He provides layers of emotions and is perfectly cast as someone having left the past behind, escaping to better the lives of others and fill a void within. Rolf Lassgard, as the initially unsympathetic and heavy drinking Jorgen, gives a multi-dimensional performance that clarifies but not necessarily justifies his actions and arrogance.
The film exceeds expectations as difficult choices are made and lives are altered … after the wedding. (Denmark, 2006) My Score: 8.5 out of 10.

DVD Release Date: July 10, 2007