Sen-ssen, aka 'Mads and Me'
I have come across some random films in my time; the everloving quest to find something for Jim to do on his off-hours has turned me into a one-woman DVD browsing machine, and you find some interesting things in the corner shelves of the local library.
Most are sort of "meh"....some are quite good, or funny, and you hadn't heard that, so you feel a little righteous for a bit...and some you know within the first ten minutes why they ended up in that corner pocket. We also get them from Netflix as a kind of supplementary, first-run option as well, and that seems to hold him in most occasions.
Well, I got a 'Flixer the other day, and I'd only read the snippet about it on that site to know what we'd be getting into. I did, however, have a fondness for the male lead, so it had at least that going for it.
Blew...my...freakin'...mind.
"After the Wedding." Danish film (so, in actuality titled "Efter Brylluppet"). Takes place in India and Copenhagen, primarily. To call it deeply emotional is unjust. It is, quite possibly, the most *real* film I have yet to view. In all seriousness. The acting by all the main characters (and there are a few) is superb, but in no way showy (except for perhaps one scene, and justifiably so). So unshowy that it's almost subliminal. The director, Susanne Bier, uses optic imagery throughout but also knows how to convey everything in a scene with a simple close-up of her actors' eyes. And what pain. What joy. What complexity lies in the glances between these people.
(Tangent: I find that previous statement ironic, considering that the (arguably) most recent L.A.-notable role of the lead, Mads Mikkelsen, was 'Bleeding Ducts' le Chiffre in "Casino Royale." C'est chic, le Chiffre!)
Without revealing too much, I acknowledge that certain plot devices/subject matters are close to home and therefore much more likely to win my approval....IF done right. This takes "right" and somehow elevates it to a work of humanity.
Of course, no one can ever see a film so lauded by one person without being let down in some way, which is why I hesitated to post this. But it truly....it just lingers in my mind's eye, an ode to how beautiful, how messy, how completely out of our hands are these lives of ours, and how drawing up boundaries and lines, rules and codas, "I wouldn't" and "you can't" just....misses the point.
Brilliant film. If you get a chance, give it a chance. It starts slow, but as with any investment, you'll understand why at the end. Oh, and one last glowing mark...much of it is in Danish, and it matters not in the slightest. You almost feel as if you speak the language yourself, so valid the delivery and the emotion.
Brilliant.
Most are sort of "meh"....some are quite good, or funny, and you hadn't heard that, so you feel a little righteous for a bit...and some you know within the first ten minutes why they ended up in that corner pocket. We also get them from Netflix as a kind of supplementary, first-run option as well, and that seems to hold him in most occasions.
Well, I got a 'Flixer the other day, and I'd only read the snippet about it on that site to know what we'd be getting into. I did, however, have a fondness for the male lead, so it had at least that going for it.
Blew...my...freakin'...mind.
"After the Wedding." Danish film (so, in actuality titled "Efter Brylluppet"). Takes place in India and Copenhagen, primarily. To call it deeply emotional is unjust. It is, quite possibly, the most *real* film I have yet to view. In all seriousness. The acting by all the main characters (and there are a few) is superb, but in no way showy (except for perhaps one scene, and justifiably so). So unshowy that it's almost subliminal. The director, Susanne Bier, uses optic imagery throughout but also knows how to convey everything in a scene with a simple close-up of her actors' eyes. And what pain. What joy. What complexity lies in the glances between these people.
(Tangent: I find that previous statement ironic, considering that the (arguably) most recent L.A.-notable role of the lead, Mads Mikkelsen, was 'Bleeding Ducts' le Chiffre in "Casino Royale." C'est chic, le Chiffre!)
Without revealing too much, I acknowledge that certain plot devices/subject matters are close to home and therefore much more likely to win my approval....IF done right. This takes "right" and somehow elevates it to a work of humanity.
Of course, no one can ever see a film so lauded by one person without being let down in some way, which is why I hesitated to post this. But it truly....it just lingers in my mind's eye, an ode to how beautiful, how messy, how completely out of our hands are these lives of ours, and how drawing up boundaries and lines, rules and codas, "I wouldn't" and "you can't" just....misses the point.
Brilliant film. If you get a chance, give it a chance. It starts slow, but as with any investment, you'll understand why at the end. Oh, and one last glowing mark...much of it is in Danish, and it matters not in the slightest. You almost feel as if you speak the language yourself, so valid the delivery and the emotion.
Brilliant.
Comments
Speaking of foreign viewing may I, in turn, recommend highly the new BBC sitcom "Gavin and Stacey?" We just caught the first episode last night and I was also struck by the nuanced performances and the realness of the situations. While it is probably not as blatantly brilliant as the film you described (because, after all, it is still a TV show) it is still dang good. I’m interested to see if subsequent episodes hold up to the pilot.
Be sure I’ll give my review of "After the Wedding." I just added it to my queue
Can I get "Gavin and Stacey" on Netflix? Not quite sure how else I'd catch it, being a cable-less cretin. ;)