Some films just live you speechless in the end…

“After the Wedding” (“Efter brylluppet”, 2006) is a Danish Drama directed by Susanne Bier, starring the gorgeous and talented Mads Mikkelsen, Sidse Babett Knudsen, and Rolf Lassgård. The film tells the story of Jacob, a man who dedicates his life to teaching orphan children in India. Trying to keep the orphanage from closing down he meets a wealthy man in Denmark who wishes to do some good with his loaded funds. What seems to be a business encounter soon turns out to be a life changing experience for both men.

 

The film contains an immaculate ensemble of actors that managed to keep the plot so real, it almost didn’t feel like a motion picture. I was completely sucked into it.  Let me start off by saying I love Mads Mikkelsen. I only got to know him watching Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky  and Charlie Countryman. He is always the tough guy who makes you fall madly in love with (I think I’ve seen him smile maybe twice). The role of Jacob suits him perfectly as he is tough to bargain with, but also gentle and a bit naive in his ways. A lovable character, no doubt. Sidse Babett Knudsen, an award winning actress, and Rolf Lassgård sketch out an entirely different prospective during the film then when they’re first introduced, as they play the careless and wealthy couple. I will not elaborate on the other characters as I wish to leave something for the viewer to look forward to. 

“After the wedding” is filmed mostly in Copenhagen, Denmark and partially in India. Two entirely different worlds, where the poor stands parallel to the rich and one needs to decide where he’s needed most. With a plot so thick with sophistication and emotion, I can’t believe I kept skipping this film on Netflix. I was blindly looking for something else to watch, when today I decided to give it a chance. It turned out to be unexpectedly surprising as I was glued to the sofa. I just can’t stop thinking about it now. I admit, when it comes to foreign films, I always expect the best. “After the Wedding” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was a popular success amongst film critics. The film is also followed by an amazing soundtrack created by film composer Johan Söderqvist.

I give this film two thumbs up, and I wish I had more thumbs to give. I am going to keep an eye on Scandinavian cinema as it just keeps getting better and better.