Force Majeure (2014)
Everyone likes to think that they would be the hero to save the day if there ever was a time that they could step up to protect others. When an avalanche quickly approaches Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) and his family while on a ski trip, Tomas's survival instincts kick in. Rather than protecting his family, Tomas runs leaving them behind. Luckily the avalanche stops before it hits the resort causing any injuries or structural damage, but its impact was greatly felt on Tomas's family. His wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) tries to talk to Tomas about how he reacted but Tomas refuses to even accept that in the big moment of peril he acted out of cowardness and selfishness over heroism. Tensions and emotions rise as this event pushes these two further and further apart as the ski trip goes on.
Force Majeure is a film that thrives on a screenplay by Ruben Östlund which is built on top of a foundation made from a lack of addressing the issues or actual important talking points of the conversation this movie is trying to explore. In some ways this could seem like the film is working against itself. Instead of getting to the heart of the story, time and time again Force Majeure turns into almost a game of cat and mouse with Ebba trying to have the mature discussion she needs to move on and Tomas trying to avoid it at all costs. The thing that stops the film from feeling overly redundant in this is the sheer wittiness of the dialogue. Where this film does have a real weight and emotional vulnerability in its subject matter, the film is extremely conscious of the fact that there is still plenty of room for comedy and entertainment. Force Majeure is able to naturally bring the humor out of the absurdity present in this couple's arguments and refusal to confront the issues on their minds.
Where the style of the screenplay does lead to an entertaining and engaging viewing experience, it does have the unfortunate side effect of limiting the depth this film is able to really have. The film eventually starts a basic version of the conversation it is trying to have touching on topics such as toxic masculinity and emotional vulnerability within relationships, but it is never able to kick into second gear and find something especially memorable or deep to say. Every conversation and moral in this film feels like it is a vague and overall shallow look at that topic which acts as a good conversation starter but is far from an entire conversation presenting overly new ideas.
Where the style of the screenplay does lead to an entertaining and engaging viewing experience, it does have the unfortunate side effect of limiting the depth this film is able to really have. The film eventually starts a basic version of the conversation it is trying to have touching on topics such as toxic masculinity and emotional vulnerability within relationships, but it is never able to kick into second gear and find something especially memorable or deep to say. Every conversation and moral in this film feels like it is a vague and overall shallow look at that topic which acts as a good conversation starter but is far from an entire conversation presenting overly new ideas.
What does stand out is the technical aspects in the film. The cinematography from Fredrik Wenzel especially sticks out and stays with the audience. To be fair it does help that the ski resort is a decently fresh setting for the film to visually take place in as there are not a ton of films that take place in a ski resort. Even beyond this boost though, the shots are so beautifully crafted and the bright white environment of the snowy French Alps is honestly breathtaking. The acting itself is also quite impressive. Where Lisa Loven Kongsli has a more traditional dramatic performance with a healthy sprinkle of emotional depth it has to be Johannes Bah Kuhnke who becomes the true MVP of the film. Tomas is a character that has so much depth and emotion to him but he also refuses to show it. To make this inner conflict appear while also actively hiding it in a way that doesn't feel unnatural is an extremely hard task but Johannes Bah Kuhnke nails it. Also for being kid performances Clara Wettergren and Vincent Wettergren are impressively competent. Where neither are given scenes with a ton to them to where they could become super noteworthy such as Jacob Tremblay in Room or Brooklyn Prince in The Florida Project, they fill their roles adequately and handle their smaller scenes of emotion quite well.
Force Majeure is a film that overall does stand out as one of quality, craft, and substance. From the screenplay, to the cinematography, to acting. This is a film clearly aware of what it is doing and builds something of value. The film chooses a path of competence and enjoyment that does get its main ideas out to the audience but also fails to go much deeper than the initial arguments. Where it might not take the title as the best of the decade, Force Majeure is still an enjoyable and worthy trip on the slopes that is an easy recommendation to anyone especially if they haven't taken the trip before.
Force Majeure is a film that overall does stand out as one of quality, craft, and substance. From the screenplay, to the cinematography, to acting. This is a film clearly aware of what it is doing and builds something of value. The film chooses a path of competence and enjoyment that does get its main ideas out to the audience but also fails to go much deeper than the initial arguments. Where it might not take the title as the best of the decade, Force Majeure is still an enjoyable and worthy trip on the slopes that is an easy recommendation to anyone especially if they haven't taken the trip before.