MANILA, Philippines—Cine Europa has been an annual event here for more than 10 years and it’s something that film buffs have always looked forward to. After all, it’s not often that one gets a chance to sample the cinematic offerings of other countries apart from the US and the fact that it’s free is the yummy icing on the cake.
This year, the festival is featuring more than a dozen films from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The selection ranges from quirky comedies to family dramas, so there should be something here for everyone.
One of the films you should catch is Denmark’s entry, Susanne Bier’s “After the Wedding.” Dramatic and highly nuanced, the film has a plot that could have been lifted from a sentimental soap, with plenty of twists, secrets and hidden motives.
Superb cast
But, Bier’s clean, spare direction and her superb cast save it from descending into melodrama. The emotional intensity is kept high throughout the film, but it’s leavened by quiet moments, as well as by a pervading atmosphere of psychological unease.
Shot in semirealistic style, the camera moves around almost jerkily at times, giving snapshots, instead of panoramas, and heightening a feeling of disquiet.
The focus is really on the actors, who each give performances of great depth and texture. Mads Mikkelsen stars as Jacob, a Dane who manages an orphanage in India, and whose life takes a turn for the unexpected when a potential benefactor makes future funding for the failing orphanage dependent on Jacob’s going back to Denmark for a visit.
Puzzled by the demand but having no choice, Jacob flies back to the country he hasn’t seen in 20 years—and quickly discovers that this visit is more than it seems!
Screen presence
Mikkelsen, who gave a memorable performance as the bad guy in “Casino Royale,” is equally unforgettable here. His Jacob is brooding, taciturn and conflicted, and Mikkelsen has an edgy screen presence that’s impossible to ignore.
To the credit of his fellow actors, particularly Rolf Lassgard, who plays Jorgen, the billionaire who issues Jacob the invitation, they manage to hold their own—and then some.
Lassgard’s Jorgen is big, hearty and, at turns, brutal and tender. It’s a multilayered performance that’s fascinating to watch. Sidse Babett Knudsen, who plays Jorgen’s wife, and Stine Fischer Christensen, as the daughter whose wedding is the one mentioned in the title, also give well-rounded performances.
Showing this weekend are “And When Did You Last See Your Father?,” “Children of the Moon,” “After the Wedding,” “Beauty in Trouble,” “Love Songs,” “Un Franco, 14 Pesetas,” “Chemical Hunger,” “100 Steps,” “Night Run” and “Colorado Avenue.”
After its Manila run, Cine Europa will be screened at Ayala Center Cebu from Sept. 26 to 28 and at the Liceo de Cagayan de Oro from Oct. 3 to 5.
