Review of Force Majeure (2014) by Robert H — 25 Jan 2015

As I continue to play catch-up on 2014 in time for the Oscars, I took the opportunity tonight to watch the Swedish film, FORCE MAJEURE. The second definition in the Oxford Dictionary for "force majeure" is "irresistible compulsion or greater force.

" While an obvious connection can be made to the avalanche which occurs in the film, and is a pivotal moment for the family at the center of the story, it also works as a metaphor for the husband's instinctual reaction towards it.

Thematically, the film deals with issues like familial bonds, masculinity and control (or the lack thereof). This was a human drama, first and foremost, and I thought it did an excellent job at dealing with these questions.

At the end of the day there aren't any concrete answers given, and while some might feel cheated, I thought it was very judicious of the filmmakers to leave things up for interpretation and just present the story as is.

There were also a number of excellent scenes which neatly captured the discussion they seemed to be going for. Among them were a pair of scenes in which the wife recalls to friends (with her husband present) how things went down during the avalanche.

The second of these was rather intense and just further indicated how much it affected both of them. Other elements which stood out to me was the use of Vivaldi's Summer movement from the "The Four Seasons" as a musical motif.

Perhaps ironic considering the winter weather, I also thought it added to dramatic tension and created a sense of impending doom, i.e., an oncoming storm. The only downside I could really find were the two actors who played the children.

While they weren't in too many of the scenes, or at least didn't have that much dialogue, I thought the moments when they panicked and screamed were unbearably annoying and screechy. Overall, I thought this was a well-made and well-acted film that explored some really interesting themes with humor, sensitivity and balance.

The typical moviegoer probably wouldn't give this a second glance, but for those with more discerning tastes I feel like this could be a rewarding, cathartic experience.