Efter brylluppet

In a very poor area of India, the altruist Danish Jacob Pederson (Mads Mikkelsen) teaches and nurses children in an orphanage and has raised the eight year old Pramod since he was a foster baby. When Jacob is invited to travel to Copenhagen to meet the wealthy businessman Jørgen Lennart Hannson (Rolf Lassgård) that intends to donate a large amount to the orphanage, the reluctant Jacob is convinced by the director Mrs. Shaw (Meenal Patel) that he must travel for the good of the children, and he promises to Pramod to be back on his birthday on the next week. Jacob has a meeting with the self-made tycoon that promises a donation of one million-dollar and is invited to go to the wedding of his daughter Anna Hannson (Stine Fischer Christensen) on the next day. In the wedding, Jacob sees Jørgen's wife Helene Hannson (Sidse Babett Knudsen), who had a past with him, and discovers a family secret that will affect his and the Hannson's lives.

"Efter Brylluppet" is an intense and engaging family drama. The beginning (and the end) of this movie discloses the poor conditions of people in India and gives the false idea that the plot would be about the social differences between India and Denmark. Then there is a twist in the unpredictable story focusing serendipity and the personal dramas with many other discoveries of the lead characters and the masterminded plan of the clever Jørgen. All the characters are believable and human supported by magnificent direction of Susanne Blier that plays the emotions and feelings of the viewers; an awesome screenplay and top-notch performances. Sidse Babett Knudsen and Stine Fischer Christensen are very beautiful women and I really loved this feature. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Depois do Casamento" ("After the Wedding")

I knew nothing about this film before going to see it except that it was Oscar nominated and starred Bond's 'Casino Royale' foe Mads Mikkelsen. But I'd heard good things and despite it being a day so sunny in April that you should really spend it in the park I ventured into the dark cinema. All I can say is that I am so, so glad I did as this has to be one of the best films I have seen this year. Jacob (Mikkelsen) runs an orphanage/school in India that due to funding will have to close if they don't do something quickly, cue a phone call from Denmark where a millionaire is looking to invest some money in a good cause and Jacob has no choice but to go home and try to win over the mystery funder. Cut to Copenhagen and the very rich living of Jorgen and his family, a self-made millionaire Jorgen is preparing for the Wedding of his daughter and as his family gather round the mansion we see that he has a pretty good life. Cut back to Jacob who after living in squalid conditions in India for so long is struggling to understand the swish hotel he's been booked in for his visit. When the two meet to discuss the investment Jacob is over enthusiastic but Jorgen is nonchalant and pre-occupied with the weekends approaching festivities, so much so he decides to conclude the deal on Monday and seeing as Jacob is here on his invitation with nothing to do all weekend he decides to ask him to attend the wedding. So far so seemingly normal. It is at this point that the film takes some dramatic turns and through a series of unexpected events, a few skeletons in closets, the past and emotive performances, becomes a really deep and moving piece of cinema. I don't want to spoil it by saying anymore about it except it's nothing short of brilliant. I haven't seen a film for ages that deals with such negative and positive issues with such compassion and integrity without being hammy or over the top. The direction is flawless, the music is fitting and the cinematography is almost dogma in style but with a certain crispness to it. The performances are outstanding and it's not hard to see why it was Oscar nominated and won countless awards. The way the script is superbly written it reminded of 'Secrets and Lies' by Mike Leigh in the way it captures humans acting realistically in real situations. By the time the film starts to conclude the tissues were coming out to wipe away the tears of sadness and joy, which is a very powerful position to be in for any film, and the audience left the auditorium into bright sunshine glad like me that they'd had chance to see this amazing piece of cinema.

Efter brylluppet (2006), written and directed by Susanne Bier, is a Danish film shown in the U.S. with the title "After the Wedding."

The film is like a jigsaw puzzle that has been started but not completed. As the story progresses, pieces are added to the puzzle one at a time. There are secrets upon secrets, and memories upon memories. Only one character knows the entire story, and he is hiding a secret of his own.

The film begins in India, and the footage shot there has the ring of truth about it. Most of the film concerns wealthy people living in Denmark. The contrast between the poor in India and the wealthy in Scandinavia is immense. (Actually, it's more than that--it defies description.)

The person who travels between India and Denmark--Jacob--is the link between these two worlds. He works in an orphanage in India, and he is sent to Denmark to convince a billionaire businessman to fund the project. The plot unfolds slowly, in a subtle and unpredictable manner. There are many ambiguities, and not all of these are sorted out by the end of the film.

The acting is extremely good, with outstanding lead actors and an excellent supporting cast. If I had to single out one actor for praise, it would be the extraordinarily talented Sidse Babett Knudsen, who plays Helene, the wife of the wealthy business man. Ms. Knudsen turns in a nuanced and satisfying performance that is a pleasure to watch.

This exceptional film was appropriately nominated for an Oscar. It's certainly one of the best movies of 2006, and deserves wider distribution so that more people can see it.

a honest story. about love, past as axis, search and answers. a slice of India as key of realities from Denmark. two men, two women and a death. a wedding. and change of lives. in fact, a beautiful and profound meditation about sense, gestures, power of words. a special definition of power. and gray nuances of love.a good performance, an admirable script. but virtue of movie is honesty. far from impressive ways , it is a chronicle. a labyrinth-room in which not monsters are subjects but the forms of things. many scenarios can be fabricated by viewer. the answer of director is far from that. like a river, it is clear and fresh. a lesson about values, fear and hope of a rich man. a new face of past events for a man in search of his existence sense. end of circle for a mother. real beginning for her daughter. nothing else. only a beautiful honest film.

You've probably read the glowing remarks about this film, so I won't be too repetitious. The film moves slowly along and where the story is going to take us isn't revealed for a while. It's like peeling the onion but with rewards in each layer. I was thinking about differentiating here but, as does the onion, this film also brings tears.

I liked the way we find out that our protagonist is from Denmark and has a past that drove him away and into a new life. He is certainly more of a giving human being that when he left the country. The story then follows a course that to a large degree his former life created.

One of the aspects I especially enjoyed in the film is the use of some Dogme 95 rules. It's not a Dogme film but the director makes good use of many parts of that approach. The camera is hand held and it's use here made me feel more involved with the characters. The use of available light made the film much more beautiful and warm. One of the good results of the Dogme use here is that the director has made a film that, even for its' slow pace, dispenses with non-important fluff that would most certainly have been added if it had been made in the USA. There was a reason for every scene.

So be prepared for a slow paced film loaded with beauty and revelation. You'll be rewarded with a wonderful film experience. Prior to seeing it I had thought Pan's Labyrinth would win an Oscar, but not anymore. Then I saw The Lives of Others and moved both of the films down a notch. They were my top three films of 2006, in fact none of my top three were American made. What a year for imports!