Review of After the Wedding (2006) by Jith P — 27 Oct 2007

A surprising peeling of layers reveals an unforeseen intricate drama.

Jacob (Mikkelsen) runs an orphanage in India and is involved in the care of children?s academics, feeding, and souls; the spiritual attachment between him and his charges is apparent. But there is a need of money, and as much as he prefers not to return home to Denmark to have a face to face meeting with a benefactor?he?d prefer to do it long distance rather than to leave his charges?he goes, and promises he will return in a week. He leaves his world of heat, grime, and sweat for the world of civilization, and suits. He meets with Jorgen (Lassgard) a billionaire benefactor and states his case, but he is strung along; Jorgen?s daughter is marrying the next day and he?d like Jacob to be at the wedding. Jacob assents unenthusiastically, and the de-layering quickens as our mindset of squalor changes to wealth and privilege. He is introduced to Helen, Jorgens? wife and we know they know each other by the way they look at each other.

The photography is fascinating?it pans throughout from eyes of humans to animals of the characters, the Indian road kill, the mounted heads of hunted beasts on the mansion walls. The reflections of emotion radiate from within. Eyes tell all, words are not needed.

The stage is reset. At the wedding, the young bride, Anna, makes a toast to her parents and thanks them, particularly her father, for raising her?he is not her biological father. There go the eyes. The secret is revealed. Helene and Jacob were lovers 20 years ago and serendipitously re-meet at the wedding of their daughter. Was it really a coincidence?

Relationships are awkwardly re-established?or disestablished and everyone?s balance is thrown off.

After the wedding everything begins to unravel and secrets are revealed. For one, Anna finds her new groom cheating. After the shock and reverberation of circumstance, and the earthquakes and volcanoes of emotions subside, we learn of the bigger plan. Jorge will give Jacob 12 million dollars in trust with Anna, his daughter, to run the orphanage, but there are stipulations; Jacob must stay in Denmark; he is furious at being manipulated by money but then he learns the moving factor behind everything that has happened so far:

Jorgen is dying; his death, will not only enable Jacob's dream of improving the orphanage, but will also facilitate his reuniting with Helena and Anna.

A well executed master plan.