Lee Eisenberg Susanne Bier first came to my attention when her "In a Better World" won Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2011. I haven't see that one but I did see her "Serena", starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. I only now got around to seeing her Academy Award-nominated "Efter brylluppet" ("After the Wedding" in English).The focus is Jacob, a man from Denmark running an orphanage in Bombay. With the orphanage running short of funds, a Danish company offers to donate money to keep it open, provided that Jacob returns to Denmark to collect it. It's while he's in Denmark that the plot begins to unfold, as events there connect to Jacob's past.If you've seen any Scandinavian movies, you probably know that they tend to have a gloomy side (ironic for the region known as the most pleasant part of the world). This movie is no exception. The interactions between the various characters elicit all sorts of unpleasant memories. One might say that the conversations are a form of brutality. The wedding might be a happy event, but there's a lot of things that Jacob, Jørgen, Helene and the others have to work out in the meantime.Since I haven't seen most of Bier's movies, I can't compare this to them. All that I can say is that the movie hits you like a kick in the gut, so I hope to see the rest of her movies. There are some outstanding performances here, both in terms of dialogue and how the facial expressions sometimes tell the story. Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgård, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Stine Fischer Christensen, and the rest do a fine job. I recommend it.

Laura Hein This close to reality drama directed by Susanne Bier tells the story of a Danish orphanage manager, Jacob, who is requested by a wealthy Danish citizen to leave Bombay, India and the kids he has become so close with only to return to Denmark to discuss the possibility of funding. This wealthy citizen, Jorgen, provides the best accommodations for Jacob and even ends up inviting Jacob to his daughter's wedding. It seems out of sheer chance that Jacob runs into a woman, Helene, with whom he had a romance with 20 years ago, and she also happens to be Jorgen's wife and the mother of the bride. The bride, Anna, consequently makes a speech during the dinner that confesses although Jorgen is not her biological father, he has been present for her entire life and has supported her dreams. Jacob immediately realizes there is a big chance Anna is his daughter. After Helene's confirmation, Jacob begins to get to know his daughter while Jorgen seemingly stalls the funding process for the orphanage. We soon find out exactly what Jorgen's intentions have been all along. I give this film such a high score in regards to stars because of the purity and realistic nature of the acting. The plot and story even felt as though it could have been taken from real events. Mads Mikkelson (Jacob), Rolf Lassgard (Jorgen), Sidse Babett Knudsen (Helene), and Stine Fisher Christiansen (Anna) all provide performances that are credible and subtle. The acting found in this film is not acting that would be found in the typical Hollywood film where over-the-top is generally celebrated.The theme of fidelity and infidelity is visited many times in After the Wedding. 20 years prior to the time this film takes place during, Jacob cheats on Helene, which resulted in her leaving him. Mirroring the circumstances of her mother 20 years prior, Anna walks in on her new husband having sex with a friend of hers. We see the devastation that Anna goes through as well as the devastation that Helene remembers from 20 years ago. The only faithful man in this film (among the main characters) is Jorgen, who ends up sacrificing himself somewhat in order to provide the best life for his family after he is gone. As for cinematic techniques, or rather themes, there were countless extreme close ups of eyes. Not just eyes of living characters, but also of mounted taxidermy animals on the walls of Jorgen's house. It is entirely possible that these close ups are used to show the deep emotions that are being felt by these characters, but why the taxidermy animal eyes? It may be an image that connects both life and death, which is what Jorgen is struggling with. It could also be more literal in the fact that eyes are always watching a person and their actions. This still remains a mystery to me, however.Philanthropy and the good will of people come through this film as well. Jacob was originally a free-spirited drunk which is referred to many times, but it seems as though his philanthropic deeds have saved his life (as well as others). The children at the orphanage and those that work there are portrayed as being good, honest, humble people that are not tainted by drama. The children are a symbol for all that is innocent in comparison to the themes of infidelity and non-truths by the Danish characters. After the Wedding is a fresh look at the differences between the haves and the have nots of society and the problems that plague each of them. As Jorgen leaves this world, he gives his money to those that need it in addition to taking care of his family. Towards the beginning of the film, Jorgen doesn't actually consider the reasoning to donating his money other than to bring Jacob to Denmark. Towards the end of the film, the viewer is able to see Jorgen realize how precious life is when he breaks down into the arms of his wife on his birthday in their bedroom. It can be seen that Jorgen only then truly understood the value of life and of the life he has given to have nots in India. He pleads and doesn't want to die, but I do think it is at that moment he accepts his fate. Through his death, many, many children were able to live their lives in a stable environment away from the kind of dramas the family faced through the film.

deacon_blues-3 Jacob works in an orphanage in India that rescues child prostitutes and street children. But the ministry is failing financially, and in desperate need of funds. The answer appears when Jorgen Hansson, a rich Danish industrialist offers to fully fund the orphanage. But Jorgen stipulates that Jacob must fly back to Denmark personally to meet Jorgen and close the deal. At first Jacob refuses because he is reluctant to leave the children, especially Pramod, a boy he has raised from infancy and who looks to Jacob as his father.But the need is so great and Jorgen is adamant, so Jacob finally acquiesces and flies to Denmark.Once he arrives, Jorgen begins a strange game of manipulation. He requires Jacob to attend his daughter's wedding before finalizing the deal. At the wedding, Jacob realizes that Jorgen's wife is actually is long-lost love, Helene, and that he is the father of her daughter, Anna, who is getting married.Jacob is furious and confused. Once Anna finds out the Jacob is her biological father, she insists on meeting him and the two form a close bond.After further mysterious machinations by Jorgen involving Jacob, Helene, and Anna, Jorgen finally sits down with Jacob to finalize the deal to fund the orphanage. But rather than the original one million dollar offer, Jorgen wants to set up a 12 million dollar joint trust fund to be controlled solely by Jacob and Anna, with the stipulation that Jacob must reside in Denmark rather than India.Jacob is once again furious and storms out of the meeting. Jorgen runs after him and confesses that he has been wrong to be so manipulative and stubborn. Jorgen reveals that he is terminally ill, and that he wants Jacob to take his place as head of his family after his death. Stunned, Jacob simply walks away, unable to absorb so much crucial information at once.When Anna's new husband, Christian, is surprised by Anna's coming home and finding him having sex with his former girlfriend in her own bed, Anna seeks refuge with Jacob, and he realizes that he must indeed stay in Denmark to care for his daughter, Helene, and Jorgen's two twin boys after Jorgen dies.In the final scene, Jacob returns to India and the orphanage to visit Pramod and offer to take him back to Denmark to live. But Pramod does not want to leave the now prosperous, remodeled orphanage and all his childhood friends. Jacob realizes that Pramod is right, and very wise for his young age. They embrace, and Pramod returns to the new football field to play with his friends.This is a film that will warm your heart, amaze you, and lift your spirit with joy!

dushyant chaturvedi A Danish manager of an orphanage in India goes back home to find the funds for his project. There he discovers a truth which changes his live and that of others around him. This was nominated in the best foreign movie category in 2007 wherein it lost to the Counterfeiters, a much superior film. The film is well made and brilliantly acted. But the script does not offer anything shattering which is what its synopsis on IMDb promises. The viewers of Hindi movies have seen countless films like this although the story hasn't been lifted so far to make an "inspired" copy. There is only one scene wherein one of the lead characters reacts about their impending death which has not been used by Hindi cinema. Here, everybody becomes stoic and heroic after learning about their impending death. There, people shout and question about the logic of it all. 3 out of 5 for this. the pacing of the movie is appropriate and it never drags along. It is the very content itself which does not offer anything new to chew on.