Review of After the Wedding (2006) by Ann S — 22 Apr 2009

"After the Wedding" was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2007 and is directed by Susanne Bier [whose other credits include Brothers]. The story centers on human relationships, and the tangled webs that connect one individual to another, as well as family ties.

Jacob [Mads Mikkelsen, more familiar as the villain from Casino Royale] has devoted his time and many years to establishing humanitarian projects in India. He is told that the orphanage he is working in is running low on funds and is persuaded by the director of the orphanage to return to Denmark to negotiate a possible deal, a large donation from a prominent businessman. When Jacob arrives in Denmark, he meets Jorgen [Rolf Larsson] who seems almost uninterested in the details about the orphanage and doesn't give an immediate answer as to whether he will bail out the orphanage. Jorgen then insists that Jacob attend Jorgen's daughter's wedding, and Jacob reluctantly agrees.

At the wedding, Jacob is stunned to discover that Jorgen's wife is Helene, a woman from Jacob's past. Soon after this meeting, the drama escalates, as Jacob begins to feel he is some sort of pawn in a game orchestrated by Jorgen. Needless to say, all is not as it seems and Jacob questions Jorgen's motives, as does Helene.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this movie, and at times, it does appear contrived, but the excellent acting, especially by the actors playing Jorgen, Jacob and Helene, as well as the assured direction elevates this movie above a regular melodrama. There are some truly poignant moments that had me all weepy, but this is after all a drama about human frailties and the complex ties that bind people to one another.

The DVD comes with extra features such as a 2006 interview with the director [in Danish], 8 deleted scenes,and an eight-min featurette that has a movie critic discussing the deleted scenes with the director. Total running time is 1 hr 59 mins, and the language options are:

Danish 5.1 Dolby Digital.

English Subtitles.

Spanish Subtitles.

English Captions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Conclusion - excellent Danish drama with substance.