Danish director SUSANNE BIER’s latest offering is called AFTER THE WEDDING. The film stars Bond “baddie” MADS MIKKELSEN (Mads played “Le Chiffre” in 2006’s CASINO ROYALE) – here he is a much different character and clearly we are able to see a great foreign actor’s even superior acting capabilities come out in his native tongue (most penetrating example of this is Penelope Cruz in Almodovar Spanish films vs. her performance in American films.)

We open in the slums of India, Mikkelsen’s character Jacob is an aid worker at an orphanage and is asked to return to Copenhagen to meet with the billionaire Danish man who has promised to keep funding this orphanage project. Jacob returns to Copenhagen and here we see the contrast that plays heavily in this film between rich and poor, between opulence and wealth and simplicity and necessity. Jacob is kept at a 4 star hotel as he awaits his meeting and then is brought in to meet billionaire businessman Jorgen (played by Swedish heavyweight ROLF LASSGARD). Jorgen is a jovial fellow and he invites Jacob to his house the following day to meet his family at the occasion of Rolf’s daughter’s wedding.

Anna, the daughter (played by STINE FISCHER CHRISTENSEN) is marrying a young man who she met while visiting her father’s firm. During the wedding toast ceremony we learn that Anna is not Jorgen’s biological daughter. Rather, Anna is the product of her mother Helene’s (a magnificent turn for beautiful Danish actress SIDSE BABETT KNUDSEN) previous relationship to a man that Anna has never known.

Throughout the narrative, Bier’s direction is poignant and pervasive. She is self-admittedly obsessed with her character’s eyes and it feels like her camera aims to go directly inside her actor’s bodies. The audience experiences something of that sort as we enter further and further inside the lives and the dilemmas that face each character.

A brilliant script by Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen is brought to life excellently by Bier who now is a half a year away from the release of her first American film- THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE starring HALLE BERRY and BENECIO DEL TORO. Bier gained acclaim outside of her native country in 2002 with OPEN HEARTS – the film won Best Film in Denmark and Best Actor for co-collaborator here- Mads Mikkelsen. Currently, ZACH BRAFF is re-making (he’s directing and acting) the film and it is expected to release in 2008.

Another interesting Bier film is Sundance 2004’s audience award winner BROTHERS starring Connie Nielsen.

AFTER THE WEDDING is currently in very limited release at the following cinemas in LA / NYC:

Laemmle Royal – LA

Lincol Plaza Cinemas – NYC

4 out of 5 Crystal Balls

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