Force Majeure (2014)

– An avalanche comes dreadfully close to burying a family on vacation in the Alps. The shock of this freak occurrence does not end here. Fear continues to cascade through individual psyches and false facades. While mingling and mixing with fellow travelers, questions arise regarding how much each family member cares for the others. Judgments are as cold and indifferent as ice and snow, and potentially more damaging. Winner of one of the oddly named and puzzlingly layered jury prizes at Cannes, Force Majeure delves into the disconnection and dissonance that happens when personal occupations, habits, anxieties and phones take the place of communication and empathy within a family. The near tragedy and the time and occasion to dwell on it, call into question what it means to be a woman and man. For all the buzz surrounding this film I expected a little more from the actors, yet they are capable enough. The profound impact and depth of the story, masterful transitioning and clever use of silence, sound and winter imagery, more than make up for this minor offense. This is a complex and striking film in a deceptively simple package.

Fmovies: Force Majeure is a paused and systematic character study principally integrated by bitter conversations, uncomfortable moments and the inclement dissection of a marriage in trouble, analyzing the sudden change a casual event (in this case, an avalanche) can provoke on something which seemed so strong and safe. The result is moderately interesting... and occasionally boring. There undoubtedly are provocative ideas in this film; but there's also some frustration due to its excessively slow rhythm and the obstinacy from some characters. Director and screenwriter Ruben Östlund must have been too proud of his work, so therefore, he didn't want to leave even one minute out of the long two hours this film lasts. On the positive side, the performances are excellent and the alpine settings are truly impressive (pity that we spend so much time inside the hotel). Force Majeure examines multiple aspects of a couple: as a husband and wife, as parents, and as compatible adults, even though they don't lack of some fundamental differences which might indicate a big separation in their personal ideology. As I said on the beginning of this commentary: moderately interesting content, but presented in a way which occasionally challenges the patience and attention from the audience. Force Majeure didn't leave me very satisfied, but I don't regret having watched it, and I think I can give it a slight recommendation.

The Europeans do this kind of film so well. You let ordinary people in a fairly common situation play out a theme. It poses questions that all of us can relate to and therefore and at the same time, entertains. No need for explosions, cartoon violence, or impossible crisis after impossible crisis. Therefore the emotions revealed are subtle and appropriate. (Think Manon de Sources for example - although this is not as good)! Some of the camera work in the mountains is so straightforward yet produces breathtaking results. Artificial avalanches are created to preempt natural ones and provide safety for the snow lovers. You could almost be there. The actors are relatively unknown so there is no baggage, no false expectations, no subliminal 'hierarchy of the characters.' It's what gives the story its power. I saw this at a film festival which shuns Hollywood's attempts at drama ( thankfully) to bring nuggets like this. I know it went down well at Cannes and its failure to get an award surprised some.

Force Majeure fmovies. In a moment of weakness, a middle-aged father of two tries to save himself rather than his family in a dangerous situation, an action that has deep ramifications for their relationship. Winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard competition in Cannes in 2014 and Sweden's official entry into the Oscar sweepstakes for Best Foreign Film, Ruben Ostlund's Force Majeure (original title Turist), his fourth feature and his first since Play (2011), is a biting satire that has sharp teeth. Filmed at an actual resort, Les Arcs, in France, a seemingly happy and well-adjusted family that includes Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke), Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli), and their young children Harry (Vincent Wettergren) and Vera (Clara Wettergren), go on vacation at an expensive ski resort in the French Alps.

Ebba tells a friend that their purpose is to bring the family closer together since Tomas has been very busy at work. All seems well as they spend the first day hitting the slopes and taking pictures, but the idealized picture-postcard scene begins to unravel on the second day. Taking a break from skiing, the family has lunch at an outdoor restaurant with gorgeous mountain scenery in the background. When they suddenly witness a controlled avalanche, the force of the blowing snow seems to threaten everyone in the café. Instinctively, Ebba reaches out to protect her children, but Tomas, in a moment of panic, grabs his cell phone and runs for cover. His spur of the moment decision sends a message to the Ebba and the children, that in times of emergency, they could be abandoned.

No matter how it is rationalized away, the element of trust that cemented their relationship is broken beyond repair. To compound the problem, both seek to maintain control by suppressing and denying their feelings until they are no longer able to. In front of a couple of Norwegian friends, the divorced Mats (Kristofer Hivju), and his 20-year-old girlfriend, Fanni (Fanni Metelius), who come for a visit and are drawn into the argument, Tomas resorts to rationalization and denial. Absurdly, when they look at footage of the event captured by his cell phone, all Tomas can say is "I agree it looks like I'm running." Ebba's neat little world is also threatened by a friend telling her that she and her husband maintain an open relationship, even after having two children and it all works fine.

Unwilling or unable to acknowledge his action, Tomas beats himself up with guilt and engages in a prolonged crying jag which Ostlund characterizes as the moment when, "crying stops to be poetic and starts to be something that is just miserable— deeper and deeper — but doesn't create any sympathy, or empathy." Though wryly observant rather than intimate and may go on a bit too long, Force Majeure is smartly written, beautifully photographed, and darkly comic. Willing to confront deeply-rooted gender stereotypes and challenge us to look at our own life and see how we might have acted in a similar situation, it is a force of nature, both literally and figuratively.

Greetings again from the darkness. No one has sung the words "I'm a MAN" better than the great Muddy Waters, but even he would have been unable to bounce back from the ramifications of the split-second reaction of Tomas when things go awry at lunch.

Writer/director Ruben Ostland delivers an intriguing and thought-provoking look at gender roles and the definition and expectations of masculinity, especially within a family. What makes a real man? What is a hero? Is our predilection of survivalist or protector hard-wired into our DNA? And what happens to a relationship when the foundation of respect crumbles? Would you believe this film tackles these emotional issues, and does so in such a brilliant manner, that we often find ourselves chuckling (albeit with a tinge of guilt)?

A family vacation in the French Alps takes a turn when, while lunching on a veranda overlooking the ski slopes, a controlled avalanche goes wrong and the café is threatened. Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) grabs his phone and goes scurrying for protection, while his wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) covers the kids and calls for his help. Both are instinctive reactions, and while one recalls George in a "Seinfeld" episode, the other is more in line with what we expect from a parent.

While the avalanche turns out harmless and the family members are physically fine, the emotional shockwaves of Tomas' actions reverberate through the family ... and even through another couple (Kristofer Hivju, Fanni Metelius). There is a exceptional dinner scene with the two couples which brings the issue to a head, and it's excruciatingly painful and funny to witness. It's terrific story telling and filmmaking and acting.

This is Sweden's submission for Best Foreign Language Oscar, and it must be considered a favorite so far. Though I'm not a huge fan of the final 15 minutes, that doesn't take away from the questions as the characters try to come to grips with the situation. Really nice contrasts between dark humor, disappointment and broken trust.

I consider myself fortunate not to have known much about the movie. Actually, I was expecting a french disaster-flick in the vein of "127 Hours", a post-avalanche survival tale, because of the promotional poster.

Boy, I was wrong. Being misguided often gets me irritated, but "Force Majeure" was shockingly impressive.

The narrative follows a Swedish couple on a ski-holiday with their children, and the aftermath of them facing a somewhat life- threatening situation. The disaster here is not a force of nature, but a force of human emotions.

With no intention of spoiling a movie you should know as little as possible about, this is a hard hitting emotional drama about human frailty, marriage, inner torment and moral dilemmas when it comes to love, and the authenticity of love.

Very much recommended to lovers of layered, intelligent drama. And I repeat, this is not a natural disaster movie.