Festa de Família

Vinterberg's "Festen" which follows the strict guidelines of Dogma 95 could perhaps be hampered in its artistic approach, but not so here. Indeed with the hand-held camera the reality of the scene is intensified to such an extent one feels an integral part of the drama.

It's a family celebration of father Helge's 60th birthday. It's strange though that all the guests seem to arrive at the same time, speeding up the driveway in great excitement. There is lots of noise. hugs and kisses and the camera intruding in a mischievous way.

This family has some terrible dark secrets known to some, not to all. They are divulged by the eldest son Christian (Ulrich Thomson) in his dinner speech toasting his father. This is a wonderful scene, tense, sharp, riveting. The guests are shaken to the core. Is he telling the truth or is he having a wicked game with the assembled company? It's great stuff - really compelling drama.

The history of the family can be pieced together from information revealed in a series of toasts, but Christian's contribution renders the party speechless. It's a fairly noisy film with lots of people talking together, having arguments (Christian's brother Michael {Thomas Bo} has an uncontrollable temper) or screaming in frustration. These out bursts contrast so well with the scenes of stunned silence. They are quite electrifying moments - no words are necessary.

Films like this one make movie-watching well worthwhile. No wonder it won a Jury Prize.

I have seen this film more than I've bothered to keep track of. That's not to say that I've seen it an unusual amount of times(it's probably not more than three), just that I've never bothered to keep track. Anyway, my point is, every time, it's like seeing it for the first time. I keep discovering things that I must have noticed before, but don't remember seeing earlier. Tonight, I finally realized why; I'm blocking them out. I'm blocking out almost every single second of this film, and here's why; it reminds me of everything I hate about Denmark and being Danish. Everything strangers automatically associate me with, because I'm Danish. Not only does it remind me of it, the film flaunts it, without ever even considering holding back. The way we drink, how superficial we are, how dependent the typical grown male is of women, how racist and ignorant we are... everything. The film effectively airs our dirty laundry to the audience. On this latest viewing, I actually couldn't stand sitting through(a self-contradiction, I know) more than the first half hour... after which I casually followed the rest whilst sitting at my computer, from where I can see the TV screen... when I bother to stretch, so the computer monitor isn't blocking the view. Needless to say, I didn't catch an awful lot of it this way... but what I got was more than enough to disgust me. I can't think of any other movie I have this kind of relationship with... and I know why. I also know why this film has such an impact on me. It's because it's real. True. This is the kind of stuff you don't find in fiction... but in the newspaper, in your own family, in your own people, wherever you're from... the ugly side of us all. The shadow side. What we keep hidden from the outside world, but what we ultimately succumb to if we don't indulge it every once in a while. I chose to center my review for this film around this, because I think it's what really stands out about it. Also, I think we all, by now, know how great the acting, writing and direction is. And, being a Dogme film, it's very creatively filmed, too. So there you have it. A very creative film that puts so much focus on the shadow side of us all, of Danes in particular that is so effective that it actually makes me sick, me, a person who's been watching violent movies since I was twelve and was hardly ever affected by it. I recommend this to anyone who believe they can take it. Definitely not for the faint of heart or very sensitive people. Most people will probably have as strong a negative reaction to this as I did(unless they're far more grounded and at peace with who they are than I am), but don't let that deter you from seeing it. Chances are, you'll love it. If nothing else, you can't claim that it was fake or untrue. 10/10

So many critics seem to have missed the point of "The Celebration," which is almost unbelievable because it actually does have a point, and I feel like I got it between the eyes with a sledgehammer. This is a movie about, among other things, the power of social conventions, how we depend on them to deal with unpleasantness, and just how stubborn and difficult they can be to circumvent, even when your life depends on it.

What knocks me out is how much I'm convinced by the whole thing. Every sad detail makes perfect sense. There is so much wisdom here that it never overreaches, no matter how deep in the storytellers get.

In particular, the medium of digital video is used in an outstanding way that adds authenticity to the experience. Think about it- most of the hand-held video work we've seen is of our own family events. When we watch the only scene in which Christian weeps, with Gbatokai leaning over and giving moral support, it could almost pass for a candid moment in a homemade documentary.

I've seen a lot of good family dramas, but rarely have I had such an urge to hug the main character and unleash profanity at several of the others.

Talk about dysfunctional families!! This movie is a real shocker ... expect the unexpected, all the way through. Very creative, profound and heart-wrenching breaking of the family silence about dark secrets. You cannot watch this movie and not be changed, outraged and shaken.

First of all, the home video camera style, casting and editing perfectly suited the subject matter and script. Wealthy and overbearing patriarch is feted on the occasion of his 60th birthday -- extended family and hangers-on gather with some of the best and worst aspects of our culture on display. It's also a rather sad occasion, as one of daddy's daughters killed herself not long ago, but several guests mention how "nice" the funeral was, and which room is mine? Eldest son rises to give a toast to the old man -- and out comes some unpleasantness that people would either prefer to pretend they didn't hear, or stuff forcefully back down his throat. Then the fun really starts.

Thanks to the cast for acting with restraint -- and being believable.

Some very black humour (including pathetic scenes of the decadent bourgeoisie at play), none of it gratuitous, some of it damning, some just outrageously funny. But this is not a light film in any sense. Guess what really happens when the victimised family member tells the truth? Ouch! What about when mommy gets to choose between husband and child? Double ouch!! And finally, when victim asks dad why he did it -- well, prepare for the blow to the old solar plexus...

Trust me, I know. This is how it really happens. It's good to see a well-crafted film (that gives its human themes paramount importance) on this subject. I'm tired of watching films which try to make me feel sorry for rich kids whose parents just don't understand how hard it is to be a rich kid with pimples.

As the families (one in ten?) with histories like this one can attest, being "dysfunctional" would have been a very happy place to be, compared to the reality as shown in this fine film.