"After The Wedding"

[FailingEnterpriseAdmin]

What is it about Danish movies that allows them to get away with such emotional turmoil and intensity and still make us desperately want to move there and marry into the local gentry, raising lovely blond-haired children descended from Vikings?

“After The Wedding” delivers the goods, again, although perhaps we should have expected this from writer and director Susanne Bier, lately of “Brothers” fame, starring Connie Nielson, whom after so many American movies (The Ice Harvest, Basic, and Demonlover) was a delight to see perform in her native Danish.

Mixing gorgeous photography of the changing lights and moods of the northern Scandinavian summer and terrific performances from the four lead characters, Ms. Bier leads us down the path again of family secrets and long-suppressed betrayals.

It gives nothing away to reveal that Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen), (a sort of Danish Clive Owen with cheekbones from the central Asian steppes), runs an orphanage in India and must travel back to his native Denmark to meet with a potential donor. His weeklong visit corresponds with the donor’s daughter’s wedding and Jacob is invited, and then…

It’s amazing how different Danish movies are from their American cousins. No gunshots, car chases, or other action substituting for plot. This is a character-driven drama and the actors sit and really talk, even if it they are tempered by Nordic reticence.

What a collection of Danish films we’ve seen lately! 1998 brought us “The Celebration” about a similar large family gathering in which buried secrets are revealed. 1999 brought “Mifune”, in which a Copenhagen city slicker who’s also just married the boss’s daughter (as in “After the Wedding”) needs to return to the countryside to pick up the pieces after his father dies. 2000 brought us “Italian for Beginners” about Danish lonely hearts learning Italian. And then there was “Breaking the Waves” (1996) and “Dancer in the Dark” (2000) and, of course “Brothers” (2004).

How does a country with under 6,000,000 people (the size of the S.F. Bay Area) produce so many good thought-provoking character-driven movies?

Anyway, back to our movie. Four strong actors, an engrossing story, beautiful scenery and photography and a plot that’s almost a Shakespearian tragedy for our time.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by FailingEnterpriseAdmin

What is it about Danish movies that allows them to get away with such emotional turmoil and intensity and still make us desperately want to move there and marry into the local gentry, raising lovely blond-haired children descended from Vikings?

“After The Wedding” delivers the goods, again, although perhaps we should have expected this from writer and director Susanne Bier, lately of “Brothers” fame, starring Connie Nielson, whom after so many American movies (The Ice Harvest, Basic, and Demonlover) was a delight to see perform in her native Danish.

Mixing gorgeous photography of the changing lights and moods of the northern Scandinavian summer and terrific performances from the four lead characters, Ms. Bier leads us down the path again of family secrets and long-suppressed betrayals.

It gives nothing away to reveal that Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen), (a sort of Danish Clive Owen with cheekbones from the central Asian steppes), runs an orphanage in India and must travel back to his native Denmark to meet with a potential donor. His weeklong visit corresponds with the donor’s daughter’s wedding and Jacob is invited, and then…

It’s amazing how different Danish movies are from their American cousins. No gunshots, car chases, or other action substituting for plot. This is a character-driven drama and the actors sit and really talk, even if it they are tempered by Nordic reticence.

What a collection of Danish films we’ve seen lately! 1998 brought us “The Celebration” about a similar large family gathering in which buried secrets are revealed. 1999 brought “Mifune”, in which a Copenhagen city slicker who’s also just married the boss’s daughter (as in “After the Wedding”) needs to return to the countryside to pick up the pieces after his father dies. 2000 brought us “Italian for Beginners” about Danish lonely hearts learning Italian. And then there was “Breaking the Waves” (1996) and “Dancer in the Dark” (2000) and, of course “Brothers” (2004).

How does a country with under 6,000,000 people (the size of the S.F. Bay Area) produce so many good thought-provoking character-driven movies?

Anyway, back to our movie. Four strong actors, an engrossing story, beautiful scenery and photography and a plot that’s almost a Shakespearian tragedy for our time.

I watched "Waterworld" today. How did Dennis Hooper's crew, called "The Smokers" always have an endless supply of Sea-Doos even though the world has been covered in water for hundreds of years?

Why did Dalton (Patrick Swayze) let his friend Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott) stay back at the Double Deuce all alone when Brad Wesley pretended he was going to kill Elizabeth? Dalton should have known Brad was going after Wade Garrett.

Why didn't Bubba know his fart machine would scare away the sorority girls?

[Robert]

In "Diehard", why did McClain hesitate in killing Hans when he gave him the gun with no bullets? His hesitation allowed the other Euro scum to open up the elevator and shower the area with bullets? A good cop like McClain would have put a bullet in Hans' head, no fucking around.

How come the FBI didn't allocate enough money in the budget to allow Johnny Utah to learn to surf properly? How come a former quarterback with a bum knee doesn't catch more thought provoking killer waves?

Why didnt Rocky Balboa throw the towel quicker when Ivan Drago was pummeling Apollo Creed in Rocky 4? Drago was killing homeboy, who cares if Apollo told Rocko not to stop the fight. Apollo would be alive today if it wasnt for Rocko. Sending the title belt down with him in the casket is no consolation Rocky!

The stupid coach in All The Right Moves had Ampipe High beat, until he decided to run the football in the rain on the last play insted of doing a QB kneel down. Then the asshole Coach blames Stef (played by Tommy Cruise) and it leads to a real shitstorm for everyone.

[Robert]

In "Boyz n Tha Hood" why did Steve insist on splitting from Trey as they walked home from the liquor store? The gangbangers had an easy shot on poor old Steve. This caused Doughboy to get revenge by killing 3 other dudes and then Doughboy gets whacked 2 weeks later. When will the cycle of violence end?

And then Bubba went back and built an even bigger, much louder fart machine, and still no sorority girls would sleep with him!!!! What was he thinking???!!??