AFTER THE WEDDING (Efter Brylluppet), Denmark, 2006. Viewed at 2006 Rome film festival.
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Susanne Bier's Danish drama, "After The Wedding" (Efter Brylluppet) is another milestone in the filmography of one of Europes top female directors and also one of Europes best actors, both Danes. Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) an ex-pat Dane works in India taking care of homeless orphans. He has a particularly close relationship with a boy Pramod (age 8). His Indian overseer receives an offer from Copenhagen for big money to assist the project. This will require the mysterious ex-pat to return to Kbh after a long absence of many years to negotiate the transaction. He goes, very reluctantly, but not before solemnly promising the boy that he will be back for his birthday, only eight day away.
In Copenhagen he meets the millionaire Jorgen (Rolf Lassgaard) who invites him to his daughter's wedding party. It turns out that Jorgen's current wife, Helene, (Sidse Babett- Knudsen) is an ex-flame of Jacob's. At the wedding party the young bride announces to the jolting discomfort of all that Jorgen is not her real, genetic father. It now turns out that she is actually the offspring of Jacob and Helen's affair many years before. This is most disturbing to Jacob who did not know of the existence of this now full-grown daughter, Anna (Stine Fischer Christensen), who has been raised by Jorgen as his own -- not to mention the daughter herself, who feels betrayed by everybody. This leads to severe complications, confrontations and soul searching by all involved. Jorgen, nevertheless, offers Jacob the sky -- and a fund in perpetuity in his name and that of Anna, his new found daughter. One condition: Jacob must remain in Denmark and not go back to India.
Jacob is highly suspicious of the Millionaire's motives for all this unexplained and seemingly paradoxical generosity. The kicker is that Jorgen is dying but has revealed this to no one until now. What should Jacob do? -- accept the offer which would save all his young Indian charges from a life of depravation on the streets, or turn the offer down and go back to Bombay where he promised Pramod to be back in time for his birthday. Jorgen dies after a heart-wrenching last scene with the guilt feelings beset wife. Sob-sob. Funeral.
Jacob back in India offers to take Pramod back to Denmark where he would lead a life of luxury. The kid refuses. He wants to stay with the people he knows best. Sob-sob. This is a very high-style sob-story that is also very depressing but, indisputably, an "auteur film" all the way. Susan Bier is one of the foremost female director's at work in Europe today and makes glossy, high concept, slick psychological studies with excellent actors. I know this was a very good film but I was in so much pain watching it that I couldn't wait for it to be over. Alex in the press room, Rome. Tomorrow, the arrival of El Grande from Tribeca, Roberto De Niro -- (Are you tawkin na ME! )
image1.jpeg
Susanne Bier's Danish drama, "After The Wedding" (Efter Brylluppet) is another milestone in the filmography of one of Europes top female directors and also one of Europes best actors, both Danes. Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) an ex-pat Dane works in India taking care of homeless orphans. He has a particularly close relationship with a boy Pramod (age 8). His Indian overseer receives an offer from Copenhagen for big money to assist the project. This will require the mysterious ex-pat to return to Kbh after a long absence of many years to negotiate the transaction. He goes, very reluctantly, but not before solemnly promising the boy that he will be back for his birthday, only eight day away.
In Copenhagen he meets the millionaire Jorgen (Rolf Lassgaard) who invites him to his daughter's wedding party. It turns out that Jorgen's current wife, Helene, (Sidse Babett- Knudsen) is an ex-flame of Jacob's. At the wedding party the young bride announces to the jolting discomfort of all that Jorgen is not her real, genetic father. It now turns out that she is actually the offspring of Jacob and Helen's affair many years before. This is most disturbing to Jacob who did not know of the existence of this now full-grown daughter, Anna (Stine Fischer Christensen), who has been raised by Jorgen as his own -- not to mention the daughter herself, who feels betrayed by everybody. This leads to severe complications, confrontations and soul searching by all involved. Jorgen, nevertheless, offers Jacob the sky -- and a fund in perpetuity in his name and that of Anna, his new found daughter. One condition: Jacob must remain in Denmark and not go back to India.
Jacob is highly suspicious of the Millionaire's motives for all this unexplained and seemingly paradoxical generosity. The kicker is that Jorgen is dying but has revealed this to no one until now. What should Jacob do? -- accept the offer which would save all his young Indian charges from a life of depravation on the streets, or turn the offer down and go back to Bombay where he promised Pramod to be back in time for his birthday. Jorgen dies after a heart-wrenching last scene with the guilt feelings beset wife. Sob-sob. Funeral.
Jacob back in India offers to take Pramod back to Denmark where he would lead a life of luxury. The kid refuses. He wants to stay with the people he knows best. Sob-sob. This is a very high-style sob-story that is also very depressing but, indisputably, an "auteur film" all the way. Susan Bier is one of the foremost female director's at work in Europe today and makes glossy, high concept, slick psychological studies with excellent actors. I know this was a very good film but I was in so much pain watching it that I couldn't wait for it to be over. Alex in the press room, Rome. Tomorrow, the arrival of El Grande from Tribeca, Roberto De Niro -- (Are you tawkin na ME! )