SUSANNE BIER
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBB
Original title: Efter Brylluppet
Denmark/Sweden, 2006. Zentropa Entertainments, After the Wedding, Sigma Films, Sveriges Television, Det Danske Filminstitut, Nordisk Film, Invicta Capital. Story by Susanne Bier, Screenplay by Anders Thomas Jensen. Cinematography by Morten Soborg. Produced by Sisse Graum Jorgensen. Music by Johan Soderqvist. Production Design by Soren Skjaer. Costume Design by Manon Rasmussen. Film Editing by Pernille Bech Christensen, Morten Hojbjerg. Academy Awards 2006. European Film Awards 2006. Toronto International Film Festival 2006.
Working in India as a teacher for impoverished children, Mads Mikkelsen is informed that he needs to travel home to his native Denmark to help raise money for his school to remain open. The corporation looking to invest in his project wants to meet him in person, so he goes and upon arrival is immediately invited to the wedding of his possible benefactor’s daughter. Walking into the ceremony sees him walking into his own past, with a particular key member of the wedding party turning out to be holding a secret part of his life that he has had no awareness of for the last two decades. From there the film twists a million times, at many turns incredibly moving until director Susanne Bier exhausts our patience with a seemingly endless soap opera that wants to go on forever. Terrific acting, however, and excellent dialogue.
