A family goes on a skiing holiday. A deadpan encounter with smoke from a snow avalanche creates an emotional avalanche of questions related to trust in the husband wife relationship. The film does a character study of Human instincts and gives us valuable lessons on how nimble deep-rooted relationships could be considered & why such nimbleness might be a false-alarm in some cases.
Language:
Swedish
Running Time:
118 min
Rating:
R (MPAA)
Release date:
30 December 2014
Directed by:
Ruben Östlund
Produced by:
Erik Hemmendorff
Marie Kjellson
Written by:
Ruben Östlund
Starring:
Johannes Kuhnke
Lisa Loven Kongsli
Clara Wettergren
Vincent Wettergren
Kristofer Hivju
Fanni Metelius
Music by:
Ola Fløttum
Shot by:
Fredrik Wenzel
Editing by:
Jacob Secher Schulsinger
Distributed by:
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What’s Hot

  • Ruben Östlund has written and directed a script that fascinates you with the way it takes you through a situation of earth-shaking importance in an almost nonchalant manner. In a way, the snowfall setting is very apt – The presentation is as pleasing to the eye as snowfall, nevertheless, stinging you like how snow would when you expose yourself to it.
  • Johannes Kuhnke, who plays the father, reacts just like a confused man with questions would to the actions of the strongly opinionated wife, played passionately by Lisa LovenKongsli. Kristofer Hivju& his facial red-beard offer the philosophical fillip needed by the film’s narrative.
  • Fredrik Wenzel’s camerawork is remarkable in the way it takes us to the characters. A lot of shots are still, as if shot from a tripod & that is in line with the context the film sets itself in. Secher & Schulsinger’s work at editing presents itself in explaining the magnificence & intrigue behind skiing mountains.
  • Ola Fløttum’s minimal music works to the film’s advantage as well. Dialogues is where the film becomes an outright winner, for, it raises uncomfortable questions on the viewer & lets her think how a scenario as described would make her react!

What’s Not

  • The climax of the film is well-intentioned and silently makes a big point but the chosen scenario could have been better as the reaction for the one shown doesn’t look realistic.

Badges

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

Through a family’s skiing holiday, the film explains how life can be like Snow – Cold yet brutal, how small incidents & the way we could dent deep-rooted relationships. It also poetically emphasizes the value of benefit of doubt.