Review of Force Majeure (2014) by Alan W — 16 Apr 2015

A fascinating 'what would you do if...'scenario is the jumping off point into an exploration of masculinity, the meaning of family and the institution of marriage in this well executed slow burning relationship drama from Sweden.

There's some great snow photography (coupled with an effective soundtrack) but the pacing suffers as the film dwells on them a tad indulgently. Surreal diversions in the script, thought-provoking though most of them can be, makes the film feel arty but some of the more head scratching ones are trimmable, especially the ending could do without the clunky metaphorical epilogue.

An original and poignant film but at 2 hours, the intrigue wears off a little towards the end.