After the Wedding
Directed by Susanne Bier

By Travis Mackenzie Hoover

It’s ironic that Susanne Bier got her foot in the international door through the ministrations of Dogme 95, as her subsequent work has none of the rigour that such a movement supposedly represents. The most recent of these is After the Wedding, and for all of its stabs at relevance and Renoir-ian kindness it’s little more than a soap opera with fancy trappings.

Mats Mikkelson (the villain from Casino Royale) leads the pack as Jacob, an aid worker based in India; he’s called back to Denmark to field a charity offer from Jorgen (Rolf Lassgard), a man who is as wealthy as he is crude. Jacob is puzzled when he’s dragged to the wedding of the rich boor’s daughter, until he discovers that a) his host’s wife (Sidse Babbet Knudson) is an old flame and b) that the couple’s daughter is in fact, his own. This brings about some of the creakiest support group sentiments ever recorded on film, all “how could you have lied to me?” and “money isn’t everything” and blah, blah, blah.

The film is resolute in its determination to be conventional and uninteresting, sealing the deal with a casual dismissal of the third-world hell that the star is supposed to be helping. Once again we find that just because you’re impoverished doesn’t mean you have priority over affluent Danes. By the one-hour point, I had had enough, but the film just kept going and going — obviousness rules in Bier’s universe and it robs her would-be tearjerker of any real emotion.

Though the cast is credible throughout (especially Lassgard, who nails his hubristic greed head role), the material they’re working with is crushingly dull and by the end, I was climbing the walls. (Seville)

Hot Fuzz - Dir. by Edgar Wright
At a time when zombie films were all the rage, the team behind hit UK sitcom Spaced introduced a fresh take on the undead with the “rom-zom-com” Shaun of the Dead. An unexpected hit filled with as many belly laughs as bites, the film established director/writer Edgar Wright, actor/writer Simon Pegg ...Read More
Black Book - Dir. by Paul Verhoeven
Blades of Glory - Dir. by Josh Gordon & Will Speck
Disturbia - Dir. by D.J. Caruso
Everything’s Gone Green - Dir. by Paul Fox
First Snow - Dir. by Mark Fergus
Grindhouse - Dir. by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez
Next - Dir. by Lee Tamahori
Offside - Dir. by Jafar Panahi
Perfect Stranger - Dir. by James Foley
Sleeping Dogs - Dir. by Terrance Odette
The Condemned - Dir. by Scott Wiper
The Hoax - Dir. by Lasse Hallström
The Lookout - Dir. by Scott Frank
The Reaping - Dir. by Stephen Hopkins
Who Loves the Sun - Dir. by Matt Bissonnette
Gurpreet "The Tabla Guy" Chana combines a deep knowledge of Indian classical music and a lifetime of Canadian musical experiences into a unique approach to percussion. He is both a spellbinding solo performer and a consummate collaborator. Raised in Hamilton, now residing in Toronto, Chana's tabla education began at age three. He relates a time-honoured musical starting point, albeit with specific cultural resonance.... Read More
"Slayer!" Second only to pleas for Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," virtually every concert-goer of the past quarter-century has heard this passionate cry unleashed during a show, metal or otherwise. There's a reason. The Huntington, California metal quartet is hands-down one of the boldest, most agile, impassioned bands in the history of recorded music. There's no mistaking Slayer.... Read More
The consistency of the recorded output of hardcore giants Converge is unparalleled ― there isn't another band in aggressive music functioning today that manage to push out into new sonic directions with each album they release without making some painful miscalculations. For over a decade, Con... Full Review
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the May 2007 Issue: Contents PageNewsClick Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Questionnaire  •  Timeline • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews  •  SXSW Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews • Music School --> Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  Where I play Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue Browse Issues