Force Majeure (2014)

If you come into watching Force Majeure expecting a comedy, even a dark or dramatic one, you'll be very disappointed. It's not that the humor is too serious or dark for somebody's taste, it's just that it is not present. It's a case of false marketing. Some scenes are terribly awkward, and terribly unpleasant, sure. But to laugh at these scenes or to find them amusing is to not have a grain of empathy, and the actors really evoke it as they give complete, subtle but powerful performances. It's not only about empathy, it's not about whether the characters deserve their predicaments, it's about the realistic possibility of the events of a movie happening in random lives. It's not Meet the Parents awkward, it's the it can happen to you life-changing awkward. Grounded. As for the drama part, yes, the movie delivers on interesting themes, raising important questions yet somehow answering them too much on the nose each time. The pacing is too slow and there are parts which seem like are there only because the director wanted to cram as much of his ideas in a single movie.

In a society that is in constant change, sometimes it is difficult to know where your place is. And nowadays this feels harder than ever, with social networks, smartphones and constant connection to every corner of the world. So many things are happening that sometimes people are not sure about their position in society or family, or even what they are supposed to be and do. And this adjusting may be in particular hard for the ones that have been more privileged and have had more power. Not because they have lost privileges, but because they feel they are losing their position in the world, their prerogatives and rights. And it is hard for them to accept that.And that is what "Force Majeure" is about. A perfect family of four are having dinner in a restaurant when an avalanche happens. At first they take it as a thing to take pictures of and enjoy, a controlled avalanche. However little by little the avalanche comes closer to the restaurant... and the man decides to run for his life leaving his two children and wife behind.From that moment on we have a really engaging look on family, relationships, women and men's position on society and how difficult it is to the privileged to accept changes or their loss of power. By looking at a family, Östlund develops all these ideas in a subtle but never superficial way. The pace is slow and takes its time, but it never lets the viewer down and it adds little by little to the story. Some imaginary is too heavy-handed (like the toilet moments in particular), but in general the direction is spot on and all the moments have relevance to what is happening, with some touches of humor to stop the story to becoming too dark and broody."Force Majeure" is a really interesting movie.

With Ruben Östlund just having won the Palme d'Or for The Square, he could look back at Force Majeure as having given him a foot in the door for Cannes recognition. Watch out for the IMDb synopsis, giving the impression this is a survival story. It's nothing of the sort; the family are not actually in the avalanche, no one is harmed in what was a controlled avalanche. The key is that for a split second, it appears to get out of control, and the husband's reaction breaks down trust in his marriage. Force Majeure is essentially Scenes from a Marriage in the Snow, a marriage drama in which the wife struggles with abandonment issues, and the family could come apart. This, and some beautiful, striking photography are two key qualities of the film, though those out only for an action/survival story will not appreciate this.On the down side, Force Majeure does drag in parts; Östlund can't expect to be Ingmar. The end, with the bus, where the roles of wife and husband are reversed, does lack subtlety- yes, it turns out we don't know how we'll always react, and perceived brushes with death, however mistaken, will lurk behind every single corner. Still, it's obvious why Östlund would have established himself as a director to watch with this.

I had expected to really like this film but overall I didn't enjoy it. There were some moments I enjoyed and I liked the couple who visit the main characters. But the whole thing is slightly strange and does not quite add up to me. For example the hotel staff member who observes the family yet does little else. The family themselves - they seem to have no fun and the kids never once object to this slightly tiring ski holiday with terrifying avalanche etc. I felt very sorry for the little boy in the family ! I guess that is the point - the father is patriarchal at the beginning of the film. But it sort of left me cold and definitely puts you off a ski holiday in such an alpine resort with cold large hotels and horrible roads etc etc .... I didn't really get this film at all. I would not recommend it.