Genre: Drama
Duration: 105 minuten
Alternative title: The Celebration
Country:
Denmark / Sweden
Directed by: Thomas Vinterberg
Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen and Paprika Steen
IMDb score:
8,0 (99.851)
Releasedate: 19 June 1998
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Festen plot
"Every family has a secret."
The father of the family, Helge Klingenfeldt, (Moritzen) turns 60 and a big party is held. There are still some tensions within the family because of the suicide of one of Helge's daughters a few weeks ago. Of course, this is hidden from the guests as much as possible, until son Christian (Thomsen) gives a speech after dinner, during which the truth about the beloved Helge comes out.
Actors and actresses
Christian
Faderen
Michael
Helene
Moderen
Pia
Mette
Michelle
Toastmasteren
Kokken
Reviews & comments
RuudC
-
- 4636 messages
- 2529 votes
Everyone has done it. Picking movies because they are very popular and on top lists. For me the reason to watch Festen. In a close second place because I recently really enjoyed Jagten. Top movie! Well then Festen will probably not be far from it. I knew that. As soon as the movie starts, I'm scared to death. What kind of hideous camera work is that? Did I buy a bad DVD by mistake? I always grab the tablet and while I try to keep an eye on the film, I look to see if I'm the only one with this problem.
While Michael is yelling nasty things at his wife because she forgot to bring his shoes (not a very good script), I come across the term 'dogme 1995'. Never heard of it, we'll google that. Well, what a goddamn nonsense! Is it bragging or are they doing it to camouflage lack of money and resources? Actually, the film is already more or less ruined, because it was shot with a camera of a few tens. They certainly call it passion for the profession. What a let down.
The characters don't look very interesting, so I set my sights on that speech. According to the back of the DVD case, all hell breaks loose. With the realization that this film is counted among the 250 best films ever, I already rub my hands. That must be a damn good speech. Christian taps the glass and...
... what follows is best described as an elephant in a china shop. What follows has no nuance. It is as if Vinterberg was allowed to dig between discarded texts by Herman Brusselmans. The second half of the movie is completely unbelievable. It's not even funny anymore and the way in which one tries to continue everything is especially astonishing. The high expectations are not fulfilled. I probably wouldn't have watched Jagten if I had seen Festen first.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
-
- 11345 messages
- 6677 votes
Good.
Festen means my first real contact with the Dogma filmmaking. I didn't expect this movie to be part of it beforehand, nor did I think it would be a good movie. Festen ultimately came down to a double surprise and another topper from director Vinterberg.
In any case, the entire film is portrayed very intensely. The natural way of filming produces an image that sometimes feels scary realistic. You regularly feel the genuine tension, despite the fact that the film does have its theatrical characters. The further the film progresses, the less of a problem this becomes. The tense situations remain, but the created moments eventually disappear.
What is special about the film is the tight way of editing and strong use of the camera with some movements that I have never seen before in cinema. This Festen is certainly innovative, too bad about the sometimes a bit too ugly way of filming, by which I mean that many backgrounds that could have been beautiful are shown very ugly.
The film does not have a particularly strong story, here it comes mainly from the acting and the tensions between the characters. The execution is all that matters here, and although I'd hoped for a little more twists and turns, it always manages to interest me. The interpretation may not be particularly original, it is well put together and I can only praise that.
A bit on the long side and it lacks some extras, otherwise Festen has definitely become a strong film that just couldn't always involve me in the story. Interesting, such a Dogma film. Maybe try another one soon, Lars von Trier, for example, has been on my radar for some time with his earlier films.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Sergio Leone
-
- 4403 messages
- 3088 votes
Not really my thing.
And I'm talking about that style. Short to the skin, stripped of all kinds of frills; but in the end cinema may be more than an ugly, short-sighted display.
In any case, it would have been nice to have seen a little more than the play the family is putting on here. Admittedly, I've been able to laugh regularly and there's definitely enough witty dialogue and sharp stitches in it. The sometimes somewhat clumsy humor such as that racist or not racist song is also good.
But besides that (and also good acting, that should also be mentioned) afterwards I was mainly irritated by the ugliness of the film. I appreciate the urge that Thomas Vinterberg and a lot of like-minded people felt at the time to come up with a kind of realism, but in the end you just look at a busy scene full of absurd scenes, so whether that eventually turned out to be such a realistic film...
2.5
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