After the Wedding (Efter brylluppet, 2006) seems like it should be a large movie—it begins internationally, depicting issues like poverty and homelessness that affect millions around the globe. Quickly though, the focus zooms in on several people who are very closely connected though somewhat of an odd history, forcing the viewer to examine what exactly is required to love someone. Jacob (Mads Mikkelson) manages an Indian orphanage, but is called back to Denmark by a businessman to try and secure more funds for the orphanage. He is offered the funding, but of course there is a twist, made clear following a series of big reveals; Jørgen (Rolf Lassgård), the businessman, requires Jacob to remain in Denmark and begin managing some of the company. As Jacob is actually the biological father of Jørgen's daughter, Jørgen wants him close by to care for the family following his impending death. The film explores the ideas of control, love, and doing one's duty with an interesting take on what constitutes a family.There are several aspects of control seen throughout the film. Jørgen, as a powerful businessman, is used to having people do his bidding. He also knows that he is dying, resulting in his necessary composure despite such unfortunate circumstances. Troubles arise when he tries to extend his control to Jacob, a man who is used to being independent. Jacob resists, feeling that Jørgen is trying to buy him, but gives in when he discovers the exact nature of the request. Helene is also trying to control the situation—she is understandably mad at Jacob for cheating on her, and initially tries to restrict his contact with the family and herself. She eventually sees his value though, leading to the next theme of the film: love.After the Wedding contains numerous interesting relationships, mainly ones that aren't necessarily seen in many other contexts. In India, Jacob is especially close to one of the boys at the orphanage. He acts as a father figure to the boy, but is ultimately forced to leave and has to go back on promises made. The dynamic between the adults in the film is what is the most fascinating though; Jacob is Anna's biological father, from a previous relationship with Helene. Helene then married Jørgen in part to secure a future for Anna. Jørgen is dying though, and wants Jacob to be around to support the family. Jacob's connection to Anna is apparent, although awkward at first. When they first talk in his hotel room, the tension between them is almost painful to watch. Anna begins to open up to Jacob though, which eventually causes Helene to realize that she does still care for him. While she never answers the question about whether or not she'll get back together with Jacob, it's clear that the family cares for him and he is present in their lives. The final theme is an exploration of what it means to do one's duty, especially in keeping with promises that were made. Jacob is the primary vehicle through which we explore this. He is forced back to Denmark to secure more funds for the orphanage, despite a strong desire to remain with the children. Once there, he puts up with a seemingly distant and eccentric Jørgen in the hope of keeping the orphanage open. Jørgen's obligation to his family drives him to find Jacob in the first place, and admit to himself that he must take action to secure their future. The film makes use of many close ups, especially on the face and eyes. In a story so driven by emotion, it makes sense that this would be a focus. Frequently, the larger picture is ignored for a close look at exactly what each character is feeling at the moment. Their emotions are strong and complicated, so taking a moment to dissect them is really helpful. I enjoyed After the Wedding, but it didn't grip me as completely as other films I've seen. However, I think the suspense of the reveal was ruined by the strange actions of Jørgen that led up to it. There were also times where I felt the stony faced acting could have shown a little more depth. I was also ultimately unsatisfied by some aspects of the ending—after so much build up, I feel the viewers deserved slightly more. The film presents interesting ideas, but the lack of resolution means that some of the impact is lost. It's worth a watch, but not one of my favorites.

After the Wedding: An Unexpectedly Touching Familial Drama "Every acquaintance, every friend, every person who has a place in your heart, it is the time with them that really means something. Nothing else matters". These words, spoken by the masterfully played Jørgen (Rolf Lassgård), sum up the main message of the Danish, Oscar nominated film, After the Wedding. In the hands of a director less skilled than Susanne Bier, After the Wedding may come across as an overblown, soap opera-like melodrama. Instead, Bier uses these cutting emotional moments to develop her characters and their motivations. After the Wedding explores the relationships between wealth and poverty, what it means to be a family, and the individual's role in a larger picture.The film opens with a stoic as ever Mads Mikkelson playing Jacob, the closed off but compassionate manager of an Indian orphanage. Jacob must face the grim reality that without proper funding, his beloved orphanage will close, and the only way to secure the money is for Jacob to travel back to Denmark to confer with a potential benefactor, Jørgen Lennart Hannson. Jørgen promises to consider funding the project–but only if Jacob agrees to attend his daughter's wedding the next day. Why did Jacob leave Denmark 20 years ago? Why is Jørgen orchestrating this event? "Too much fits together too well," comments Jørgen's wife (and as we soon find out, Jacob's ex-lover). The audience is inclined to agree. But what follows is a touching exploration of familial ties.The initial scenes of Copenhagen provide a stark juxtaposition between Denmark's wealth and the abject poverty of Mumbai (all of the orphans could live comfortably in Jacob's hotel room). The audience instinctively sides with Jacob and his feelings of disgust with his own country. The bright colors of the city contrast with the poverty in which most of the residents live. But despite their lack of wealth, the community cares deeply for its members. Jacob has settled into a niche here, formed a cobbled together family with the young orphan Pramod, who he has raised since birth.Initially, Jacob is loath to leave the warm family he has created, believing his home country to be full of disinterested and disingenuous people ("Is it because the houses are far apart that the people are far apart?" Pramod asks Jacob before he leaves). Things become far more muddled when Jacob discovers that he isn't as alone in Denmark as he thought, and the wedding to which he was invited is that of the daughter he never knew existed. But as Jacob begins to embrace his new family, his personal ties to India began to disintegrate. Perhaps most significant is when Jacob, instead of returning to Mumbai by Pramod's birthday as he promised, spends the time in Copenhagen, getting to know his biological daughter, Anna (a moment when they flip through her old photo album together is especially touching).Jørgen, the man that Jacob instinctively despised, was the driving force that brought him and Anna together. Jørgen is at once dominant, manipulative, and as likable as he is infuriating. As the film progresses and we understand his motives, we began to sympathize more and more with him. Jørgen's character raises the question of how much money can buy. Can a person with money and ideals exist? "I'm buying remission for my sins," Jørgen says of his bargain with Jacob, a bargain that would force Jacob to remain in Denmark to serve as the patriarch of Jørgen's family. Though Jacob initially refuses, he begins to question his decision, especially when Anna finds herself lost and alone after her new husband cheats on her.What is more important to a cause, a man, or his money? At one point, Jacob is even directly asked: "think of how many you could help, won't you sell yourself for that?" Ultimately, he does, and discovers that he is somewhat dispensable. Upon returning to India, Jacob invites Pramod to return with him to Denmark, but Pramod refuses. Things are looking up for the orphanage, and remaining in the now well functioning institution with all of his friends means more to him than beginning a new life with Jacob somewhere else.My one complaint is that India seems to play more of a vibrant and exotic backdrop in the film more than anything more substantial. As soon as Jacob arrives in Denmark, it fades into the distance, save for the occasional glimpse of a sad eyed child on the video Jacob brought with him. A place that a person spent 20 years of their life building wouldn't disappear so easily. If the film had a few more scenes exploring the complexity of Jacob's cognitive dissonance and his ties to India, it would pack an even larger emotional punch.

I'm sorry, I can't see this gets a thumbs up for anything. The characters are cardboard, and even worse, rich cardboard - so much harder to care for; the story line is idiotic; I hope it's a long time until I find myself face to face with Mads Mikkelson: it's another pokerfaced utterly disengaging performance from him.I confess. I fast-forwarded over all the bits where he and his newly discovered daughter are getting soppy together, but whenever I put the controls down again, I found myself in the middle of some other scene that would really be better off at +30 and no sound too.Want to be immersed in Scandanavian culture? I suggest a few hours at Ikea, including a plate of meatballs, is a better plan.

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.