? An orphanage manager (Mads Mikkelsen) reluctantly leaves Bombay to return to his native Denmark to make a funding pitch to a wealthy businessman. An offhand invitation to the wedding of the businessman’s daughter leads to an unexpected reunion with consequences both men, as well as for the businessman’s wife and children. Directed by Susanne Bier (Brothers, Open Hearts).
+ The well-crafted screenplay has two significant surprises that have stunning consequences. In the businessman we see both how wealth is used for power and the limits of that power. His actions create an unexpected moral dilemma for the other man. Mikkelsen, who played the villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, shows his versatility, and the rest of the cast is equally strong. I especially liked Rolf Lassgård as the rich man whose actions leave the most room for different interpretations, and whom we see as imperious CEO, doting father, angry drunk, and more.
- I think I’d have liked there to be another scene in the movie where I found out more about what the other characters think about the aforementioned moral dilemma. Bier’s frequent use of extreme close-ups is occasionally distracting.
= ***1/2 Whether you like good plot twists, morality plays, or just good character dramas, this is a winner that deserved its nomination for Best Foreign Language film.
IMDB link
reviewed 5/11/07
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