Review of After the Wedding (2006) by Ola G — 29 Aug 2008

Susanne Bier is back with some more heavy drama that reaches deep down. The past and the future clashes and creates life changing moments for the involved.

Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) left Denmark several years ago to dedicate himself to caring for street kids in India. To give them a life of education, love and nurture. The orphanage he works for needs money fast to survive and through an offer from the swedish businessman Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard), based in Copenhagen, he might get hold of the money he need to keep the orphanage open. The condition is that he has to return to Copenhagen to meet Jorgen and discuss the deal that might happen if Jorgen feels that this is a project he wants to invest in.

Jacob arrives and eventually the trip to his hometown Copenhagen turns his life upside down when he realises that Jorgen is married to his old girlfriend and that their daughter is really Jacobs.

He suddenly faces some real difficulties to deal with and what he should make of it.

This is a solid piece of film as I sometimes say. Susanne Bier has yet again created a fine film that moved me. Mads Mikkelsen is always good, I like Sidse Babett Knudsen and I really liked Stine Fischer Christensen as the daughter. She has such beauty and vulnerability in her acting and I predict she will get far within the danish film industry. Rolf Lassgard is good as well, but I do believe we see him doing the same role over and over again. The direction is solid, the story is solid and the camera work is intense. And I can never see too much of Copenhagen!!! Love it!