Director: Ruben Ostlund
Writer: Ruben Ostlund (Screenplay)
Starring: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju, Fanni Metelius
Plot: A family vacationing in the French Alps is confronted with a devastating avalanche.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Not What I Was Expecting
Story: Force Majeure starts as our family Tomas (Kuhnke), Ebba (Kongsli), Vera (Wettergren), Harry (Wettergren) on their skiing holiday, this does feel like the first time they have come together in a while and as the holiday continues the strain they are experiencing becomes clear.
When an avalanche comes towards the family but fails to hit them, Tomas finds himself running from it leaving Ebba with the kids, this puts a new strain on their marriage which gets put to the test for the rest of the trip as Ebba challenges Tomas to accept his weaknesses and mistake during the moment of crisis.
Thoughts on Force Majeure
Characters – Tomas is the father of the family, it looks like he does spend a lot of time working and being attached to his phone away from the family and this trip is his chance to prove he loves them all but it is his mistake that leaves him even more distant from the family. Ebba is the mother that does seem to care the kids the most as in spending all the time with them, she gets frustrated with Tomas after the incident challenging to prove he does care. The kids don’t get too much introduction and we also have the family friends or holiday makers that give their thoughts on what happened.
Performance – The performances are all good through the film with the couple feeling natural the friends all coming off natural as well as the discussion being natural.
Story – Going into this movie I was expecting a disaster movie or at least a family trying to survive after an avalanche, well I was made to look stupid here, this is a comedy drama about one man’s reaction of a potential disaster and needing to rebuild the trust in the relationship with his family. When you look at the film the way it was meant to be watched you can also see the qualities because you are left to wonder what your own reaction could be and what you would think of your loved ones if they react the same as Tomas.
Comedy – This is mostly a comedy drama so it doesn’t turn in a laugh a minute film but gives you a giggle at small moments while also tackling a serious question.
Settings – The film is set entirely on the French Alps resorts be in it in the hotel or on the slopes which shows us just how this one week to bring the family closer could push them further apart.
Special Effects – The effects are only used on one scene at that is the avalanche moment which shows us what we could be facing and the fear it would create.
Scene of the Movie – The avalanche.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – This is my personal pick and it is mostly the frustration of expecting a different movie.
Tagline – The Consequences in the fear and flight situation
Final Thoughts – This is a good comedy drama looking at the serious idea of what would happen if you faced disaster with your family, would you make the correct decision which is a nice twist on the disaster movie because they usually bring families back together.
Overall: Nice twist on the disaster movie.
Rating
