MovieChat Forums > Efter brylluppet (2007) Discussion > Couple of things I just couldn't believe...

Couple of things I just couldn't believe (spoilers)

posted 8 years ago by Schizza
1 reply | jump to latest

First, I have to say I expected a lot more from this movie.
I didn't think it was bad, but thought that it was quite predictable. First of all, at the beginning we see Jorgen taking some pills from a secret locker, which indicated he's sick and doesn't want anyone to know about it. Later, then again, we find out that, even though it's a secret locker, his wife knows about it and even knows where to find the key... If he really wanted to keep it secret, he wouldn't keep his pills there.
Regarding the same topic, it's completely unbeliavable to me for her to call their doctor and the doctor discusses his hidden illness with her (even if it was an honest mistake because Jorgen promised to reveal it to her himself after the wedding and the doctor didn't know about it, it's still hard for me to believe that a doctor could do such a thing without consulting the patient before).
This whole directing principle in which we know the secret at the beginning and just wait for the story to unravel is quite boring since we know everything in advance. Constantly I was waiting for SOMETHING to happen that would shake off the scheme of the movie I created in my head after starting to watch, a twist of any kind, but there was no element of surprise for me - not because I'm a genius, but because everything was told untill after the wedding, and then we watch 2 hours od retelling it.
Then, the young husband cheating on daughter so early after the wedding, in their own bed - give me a break! Because he thought she was still on a party? We could suppose that he was a hypocrite during the wedding scene, but choosing to direct a cheating scene in their own bed, I don't think anyone could be so stupid to do that, especially if it is in his own interest to stay in the family and spend their money. It's just a too shallow portray of a character.
In general, I didn't think the characters were deeply thought, besides Jorgen (the scene where he breaks gives us a deeper insight in the character).
How could they all believe that Jorgen didn't know who Jacob was, that he didn't check the man he was supposed to give millions of dollars to?
Also, Jacob asking Pramod for adoption - also predictable... Jorgen putting the rule of Jacob's living in Denmark the whole time - you can see that it's a strategy of the movie dramaturgy to get the plot going, and not a derivat of the plot itself (it's just naive to think that Jacob would accept it without questioning, so it was naive from someone as intelligent as Jorgen to try to hide his real intentions).
In the end, it's a noble message of the movie (that there ARE people who have money, but can also think of others besides themselves), and a warm story between Jacob and Pramod etc., but in general it lacked deepness in character development and a predictable plot, so my impression was sadly much lower than expected...

Edit:
I forgot to write the first premise for the plot to begin: Anna's speech at the wedding. So, if Jorgen wanted for Jacob to realise he's actually her father, either Jorgen asked Anna to make a speech and say their family truth out loud (and why wouldn't she question his motives?), either he didn't know she was gonna say it and would find a way to tell him himself later (if so, the speech is pointless). In any case, it's all too unbeliavable...

[–] beja-4 8 years ago

I didn't think it was bad, but thought that it was quite predictable. First of all, at the beginning we see Jorgen taking some pills from a secret locker, which indicated he's sick and doesn't want anyone to know about it. Later, then again, we find out that, even though it's a secret locker, his wife knows about it and even knows where to find the key... If he really wanted to keep it secret, he wouldn't keep his pills there.

Huh? Helene didn't know about it, she knew there was a locker, she just didn't know Jørgen kept his medicine there. She didn't know he was sick, that's the whole point with the film. It's not a thriller you're watching, when you say it's predictable, it's a film about death and to not have control over things when you want, but cannot.

It's about the human behaviour, as in Jørgen's way to trying to fix everything before he will die. It's a film about control, or rather the loss of control. That goes for every character. You missed the whole point with this film, quite obviously.

And no, it's not unbelievable that the doctor told Helene, since Jørgen had gave him a promise to tell Helene after the wedding, so he responded correctly when she asked. She's his wife and that's how it works in Denmark.

This whole directing principle in which we know the secret at the beginning and just wait for the story to unravel is quite boring since we know everything in advance. Constantly I was waiting for SOMETHING to happen that would shake off the scheme of the movie I created in my head after starting to watch, a twist of any kind, but there was no element of surprise for me - not because I'm a genius, but because everything was told untill after the wedding, and then we watch 2 hours od retelling it.

And this is the first film you've ever watched when you know what has happened? And did you, for certain? Then you haven't seen many. And again - by sitting there waiting, you missed the essential story Bier wanted to tell. Too bad for you that you were expecting a thriller, so it seems, and instead got a story about life and death and everything in between.

And it never strikes you that Anna's husband, who came across as a spoiled brat, had an affair already when he married Anna? You never thought that he was perhaps mostly interested in the money and prestige it was to marry her? He was shallow, that's why he's portrayed as such.

And the adoption, jeez. Predictable? There wasn't suppose to be any "surprise!" about Jacob asking Pramod for adoption - of course he would ask! Everything else would've been awkward. It's not suppose to be unpredictable, that was pretty self-evident. That's what Jacob had done the last 20 years. NOT asking would've been a surprise.

In the end, it's a noble message of the movie (that there ARE people who have money, but can also think of others besides themselves),.

That is not the film's message, jeez you REALLY missed the whole point of the film. I was going to ask you to watch it again and before read some of the posts on this board. But I won't since you will not get the message anyway.

As for your thought of Anna's speech at the wedding. No one told her to tell her that, that was something she came up with herself. You obviously haven't been on a Danish wedding, there are LOT of speech and most of them is very personal.