Review of Things We Lost in the Fire (2007) by Dickie L — 14 Jun 2009

Susanne Bier's Danish filmography is so impressive (After the Wedding, Brothers, Open Hearts - all in various states of English language remakes) that its hard to believe things could go so wrong with her Hollywood debut. It certainly isn't because she's out of her comfort zone tonally. Like her other work, this is an intense, intimate drama, but whereas her previous work took soap opera material and made it soar, this just never gets off the ground.

The story starts with a funeral and it only gets more downbeat from there. Its just one depressing scene after another as Halle Berry's catatonic Audrey hooks onto the best friend of her recently deceased husband (played by Benecio Del Toro who is by far the best thing about the film). There are many similarities to Brothers, with the theme of one character becoming a substitute for another. There are certainly plenty of complex moral dilemmas inherent in the story, but it takes soooo long to go anywhere and when it finally does, the effect is strangely muted.

I love a miserable tragedy as much as anyone, but I prefer it when there's a bit of drama involved.