After the Wedding, written and directed by Susanne Bier, 9 out of 10

After the Wedding, written and directed by Susanne Bier

9 out of 10

Notes and thoughts on other books are available at:

-              https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and   http://realini.blogspot.ro/

After the Wedding is a thought provoking, worthy film.

Madds Mikkelsen is outstanding in the leading role.

He has proved that he is one of the best artists of the world in:

-          Jagten, A Royal Affair and other outstanding motion pictures

The film starts off in India, where the Madds Mikkelsen character, Jacob Pedersen is involved in helping children.

This is one of the highlights of the movie and a theme that deserves attention and is emphasized throughout.

Many children are abused on the streets of Bombay- and many other poor places- and they are forced into prostitution- whether by ruthless adults or just poverty- have to beg suffer from hunger and diseases.

Jacob Pedersen is haunted by these images and talks in various stages about these children and their traumatic experiences.

He has taken under his wing a good number of them, but he is especially attached to Pramod, who is like an adopted son.

In the presentations he makes for this good cause he talks about the food they bring out, that attracts in a few many minutes an army of hungry children.

Jacob has to go back to Denmark, even if he does not want to, in order to plead the cause of the Indian orphans.

He has to meet with a tycoon, Jorgen Lennart Hansson from whom he has to try and get financial support.

The first meeting is somewhat awkward, for the rich man appears less than enthusiastic about this good cause.

Nevertheless, Hansson says that this is a project that has been selected in a sort of final, with other propositions which would be analyzed.

Jacob Pederson is invited for the wedding that takes place over the coming weekend, of the daughter of the rich industrialist, Anna Hansson.

And the surprises keep coming at this special event, first of all Jacob recognizes the wife of the would be philanthropist- Helene.

There is even talk about the sensational coincidence of meeting at this wedding, after so many years, with connections between the parents of the bride and Jacob.

And then a first coup de grace arrives in the speech of Anna Hansson, who thanks her parents, her loving mother and…the father who had just unveiled to his daughter that he is actually not the biological parent…

There are details, the fact that the mother was six months pregnant that make Jacob rise and leave the hall in terror…

He is sitting and smoking- so bad!!- when the woman who was sitting next to him at table and had already tried to flirt with him comes and makes openings for a drive into the city, where she has an apartment…

-          The Mad Mads Mikkelsen starts refusing her first, then saying he wants to alone and finally shouts at her: “are you stupid? „Leave me alone!!”

He understands that he is the father of the bride and comes in the mansion the next morning to talk with his former girlfriend, Helene Hansson about the cruel decision she had taken to keep him unaware that he has a daughter.

It is a complex story, where the apparent coincidence has a different explanation that I will not divulge.

Father and daughter get together and he is looking with sadness at photos from different stages in the life of his child.

At times it is very emotional and protagonists cry, in spite of their usual coolness, or is it Nordic coldness?

I must confess that I have prejudices here, considering the inhabitants of the Nordic countries as cold and distant…even arrogant when pools show that the Danish are those who dislike my compatriots the…most…

Notwithstanding that aspect, the film is noteworthy.