If I tell you that Thomas Vinterberg's BAFTA-nominated "Festen" ("The Celebration" in English) is about a family gathering where ugly secrets come out, then you might think "I've seen that sort of movie before." Well you haven't seen this kind. This is the origin of the Dogme 95 movement. Shot on a handheld camera, it makes you feel as if you're there, spying on the rich clan as their lives get revealed as a facade.
The family reminded me a bit of the Vanger family in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy (I've only seen the movie adaptations starring Noomi Rapace). Whatever the case, the movie manages to be shocking, funny and disturbing all at once. An example of the best that Danish cinema can be. It's not the sort of movie that's meant to be enjoyed; its purpose is to give you things to think about. Definitely check it out.
The family reminded me a bit of the Vanger family in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy (I've only seen the movie adaptations starring Noomi Rapace). Whatever the case, the movie manages to be shocking, funny and disturbing all at once. An example of the best that Danish cinema can be. It's not the sort of movie that's meant to be enjoyed; its purpose is to give you things to think about. Definitely check it out.