aftermath (Lad de små børn) - 2004 region free dvd5 danish bcbc

Aftermath (Danish: Lad de små børn) is a 2004 Danish drama film directed by Paprika Steen.

(Contains movie and optional English subtitles. No menus or extras. Regular DVD quality (Not BD, 1080p etc...). Seeding always appreciated).



SYNOPSIS: After the auto accident death of their 12-year-old daughter, an estranged couple takes to coping in different, dysfunctional ways. Britt, the mother, has befriended a single mother and her baby, while her husband Claes stalks the woman responsible for the accident, intending to kill her.



Cast:

Sofie Gråbøl – Britt Lehmann

Mikael Birkkjær - Claes Lehmann

Søren Pilmark - Nisse

Lena Endre - Vivi

Karen-Lise Mynster - Anette Christoffersen

Lars Brygmann - Chef

Carsten Bjørnlund - Ulrik



Film Review: Aftermath (2004)

Britt and Claes have recently lost their teenage daughter and they are struggling to come to terms with their grief as they try to return to work and regain some semblance of normal life.

I thought this film was going to be a lot sadder then it actually was, but as with many Danish films I have seen the story is small but focused on the individual characters. The film does not tell you directly what happened to their daughter – an only child. You learn briefly about it later but it is unimportant.



The focus is their grief – not their immediate grief, but how things are five months later. So it is not all tear wallowing – it is quiet, intense and complicated. They try to go back to their normal lives – but everything is different now. Their friends and work colleagues do not know what to say or how to treat them.



There is a lot unsaid – what has gone on between the characters before is left very much to the viewer’s own imagination. I prefer films like these – which do not answer every question you may have about the characters or the story. There was a whole life that happened before this film started, the story does not necessarily have to start at the beginning of the movie.



However, saying this there did seem to be something lacking – some kind of umph or passion. The story of their grief seemed a little predictable – but then again maybe this is just true to life. A good story doesn’t have to be overly dramatic after all. However, I do think it did lack a little bit in character development or succeed in making these characters feel unique.



The acting was of course very good – Sofie Gråbøl can convey so much with a mere twitch of the eye. Mikael Birkkjær who says very little and remains stiff and staunch throughout still manages to show his internal pain whilst hardly physically expressing anything. Claes is filled with anger where as Britt is driven by maternal longing.



Out of all the Danish films I have seen, this one is not my favorite but I would still say I enjoyed it.