After The Wedding

Susanne Bier has directed two of the best films at our last two festivals: Open Hearts (AFF03) and Brothers (AFF05). The good news is that that her new film has been enjoying considerable critical and commercial success throughout Europe. Mads Mikkelson, who gave such a fine performance in Open Hearts (and who even turns up as the new Bond villain in Casino Royale) stars as Jacob, a man who has dedicated his life to helping Indian orphans. A Danish businessman offers him a donation of $4 million on condition that he returns to Denmark and attends the wedding of the businessman’s daughter. Of course there will be more to this than meets the eye, and the wedding will throw up critical decisions for Jacob concerning responsibilities stemming from the past and his aspirations for the future. Bier’s strength is that she is one of the most tough-minded directors in contemporary cinema, and she offers her characters no easy ways out of their moral dilemmas.

There are some stories that, no matter their origin, touch a universal chord. A sweeping and simply gut-wrenching drama, After the Wedding is beautifully realized.

Toronto International Film Festival