It has been said that Americans love two things in movies: breasts and explosions. Based on this, you might assume that once a crafty director finds a way to incorporate an exploding breast into a film it will shatter box office records for years to come. “After the Wedding,” a Danish film directed and co-written by Susanne Bier, lacks an abundance of either of the aforementioned ingredients, yet the amazing acting and solid direction has made it one of the most critically successful foreign language films of the past year.
“After the Wedding” stars Mads Mikkelsen (better known as the villain in “Casino Royale”) as Jacob, a Danish man who lives in India managing an orphanage. As the orphanage struggles to make ends meet financially, Jacob receives a $4 million offer from Jørgen (Rolf Lassgard), a wealthy Danish businessman. The one condition is that Jacob fly to Denmark to meet him.
Once Jacob regretfully returns to his home country, Jørgen invites him to the wedding of his twenty-year-old daughter. At the wedding, Jacob runs into Helene (Sidse Babett Knudsen), his long-lost girlfriend whom he has not seen in twenty years. The plot thickens as it turns out that Helene is Jørgen’s wife. When the bride mentions during a speech that Jørgen is not her biological father, Jacob connects the dots and the drama begins to unfold.
The plot of “After the Wedding” is one that moviegoers have undoubtedly seen before: a love triangle featuring questionable paternity. What separates this film from the many others with the same contrived conflict is the raw emotion that the actors display in depicting the grief, confusion and anger that their characters experience as they sort through their collective pasts. Mikkelsen in particular gives a masterful performance as the humble, bipolar protagonist, carrying the film to its prevailing conclusion.
“After the Wedding” does have its problems. The second half seems to drag on longer than necessary, drifting from its main point in order to develop needless plot points. The film is at its strongest when it is centered around Jacob, and when it strays from him it becomes confused and dull.
In the beginning there is an interesting clash of cultures as Jacob goes from the impoverished orphanage in India to the obscenely rich lifestyle of Jørgen and Helene in Denmark. After this initial big picture comment on poverty and wealth, we are suddenly expected to forget what we have just seen in order to focus on the small picture problem of Jacob and Helene’s relationship from several decades earlier.
Even with its flaws (including the mind-boggling use of the song “It’s Raining Men” twice), “After the Wedding” succeeds as a powerful melodrama, showcasing the talent of Middelsen, Lassgard and Knudsen, as well as of Bier, the director. The bare-bones cinematography adds to the gritty feeling of the film as it jumps from scene to scene.
Although “After the Wedding” is a largely gloomy film, it is also inspiring. It is a movie about sacrifice. Both Jacob and Jørgen make enormous sacrifices in order to help those that they love. This shows that, no matter how different two people may be, they can still embody the same selfless attributes as they put the interests of their loved ones in front of their own. This is a mind-set that is often forgotten, and “After the Wedding” serves as a reminder of the truly admirable traits one can demonstrate in life.
“After the Wedding”
What: An uplifting melodrama set in both India and Denmark about the consequences of past relationships. Starring Mads Mikkelsen.
Why: Seemingly low-budget cinematography adds to the gritty plot. The actors accentuate this with raw, unbridled emotional performances.
“After the Wedding” will start at Bijou Art Cinemas this month.
