Sundance Film Festival 2019 has begun! My first film of the festival is “After the Wedding” starring Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, and Billy Crudup, which writer/director Bart Freundlich has adapted from Susanne Bier’s Academy Award–nominated Danish film of the same title.
Normally I try to stay away from films in the “Premieres” category because they are big titles with big name stars, and have been written and/or directed by established creators in the business. Premieres usually come to the festival with financing and distribution in place, so it’s a pretty good bet you’re going to be able to see it in a local theater near you. With over a hundred films available to view at the festival and only 25 to 30 available slots in which to see them, I usually try to save the premieres for later and see something more obscure. Tonight, however, I had a very pressing engagement before I could get to the festival - my daughters' dance recital. I may be a Sundance addict, but I do have my priorities. “After the Wedding” was my only option following the recital. However, there is a bit of cachè to being able to tell your friends on movie night, “Oh, I already saw that at Sundance.”
”After the Wedding” is a softer and lovelier version of Bier’s original and more dogmatic film. The primary characters in Bier’s film are male. Freundlich has flipped the gender in the casting of his rendition - the high-power executive is played by Julianne Moore (who is also co-producer and married to Freundlich), and the foreign aid worker is played by Michelle Williams. Both women are acting powerhouses, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, come Oscar season, Julianne Moore gets a nod for her emotional and heart-breaking performance.
That said, the lead character is Michelle Williams’ character of Isabel who has found purpose and meaning in her life in India caring for children in an orphanage she manages. The wheels of this film are put in motion when Theresa (Moore), a potential multi-million dollar donor, requires that Isabel come to New York City in person to “seal the deal.” But when Isabel arrives, she finds that Theresa is overwhelmed with the planning for her daughter’s wedding that weekend, and so discussions about the philanthropic donation have wait until after the big day. Theresa invites Isabel to the wedding, and things get interesting. It is clear when she arrives that Isabel has an uncomfortable history with Theresa's husband, and may even know the bride.
This movie plays out like a mystery, and as each layer of the onion is pulled back we learn more and more about each of the characters and their history. What is exciting about this film is that it is a journey of discovery, and that the audience gets to go along for the ride. It is beautifully crafted and acted with superb sensitivity - particularly by Williams and Crudup, whose characters’ heart-wrenching history becomes central to the plot.
One of the greatest strengths of this film comes in the re-imagining of Beirs’ script with the switch of the two main characters from male to female. There is masterful interplay between Moore‘s powerful Theresa and Williams’ quiet but stoic Isabel. Both characters are caretakers in their individual ways, and seeing this portrayed by women, rather than men, definitely changes the dynamic for the better. Let’s also acknowledge the fact that there just aren’t a lot of meaty roles for middle-age women in films. Julianne Moore has gone out and created an amazing one for herself and one for Williams that show women of strength, grace, vulnerability, and depth.
“After the Wedding“ will have a successful life well past Sundance. It’s a lovely film that is poignant in its examination of life’s most important moments, and explores how families can either come together or be ripped apart by joy or sorrow.
"After the Wedding" Grand Theatre Viewing Friday, January 25, 2018
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