En familie

I saw this film at Noordelijk Filmfestival 2011 (in Leeuwarden, province of Friesland NL). Rikard is a family father and the proud owner of a bakery his family had for generations, even proclaimed as Purveyor to the Royal Household. While being treated for cancer, he was bed bound for some time and was nursed by Sanne, with whom he got several children though not being formally married. The story starts with the receipt of a letter declaring him cured. During a subsequent celebration, Rikard and Sanne announce their marriage. Life seems on track again, until a new illness is diagnosed, alas with a fatal prognosis this time. Rikard has to find a suitable successor to take over the bakery.

His favorite daughter Ditte, from an earlier marriage, lives together with Peter. She finds out to be pregnant, nearly at the same time as she gets a new job requiring a move to New York. Moreover, the new job will be demanding, leaving little or no time to raise a child. As if that is not enough for a single person to bear, having to choose between a new job and an abortion, other dilemma's are lurking ahead. Her father also pressures her to take over the bakery when he is gone, considering her the only one who understands the business. And to complete the puzzle facing her, her friend Peter decides to move to New York anyway, with of without her, seeing more prospects there for his artistic ambitions.

Sanne finds it more and more difficult to cope with the increasingly sick Rikard. Contrary to the time of his earlier sickness, during which she altruistically nursed him, Sanne admits she can't take any more and wants him moved to a hospice.

The other family members have problems along the same line, some due to the immanent death of Rikard, some arising from independent sources. Though limited, even the younger children have an integral role in what happens, and all of them act very natural. Needless to condense subsequent events here, as the overall picture will be clear from the above. Lots of ingredients come together all at once, obviously causing fundamental choices and shifts in mutual relationships. Family ties are stretched far beyond their limits in the process. We follow all this very closely, with concise dialogs because a picture paints a thousand words.

All in all, this film has everything in it to attract a broad audience. The various interwoven sub-plots create a natural background for all family members to display their reactions, how it influences future lives and relationships with others. This together forms the building blocks of this film, with several moving and involving scenes as the result. Everyone's backgrounds and motives are portrayed at suitable moments. As a viewer we can easily feel sympathy for each of them. There are no obvious good or bad characters, only good or bad situations. I gave the maximum score for the audience award when leaving the theater.

"En familie" revolves around the confusion caused by the death of a leading family member. The uncertainty it causes and the power vacuum it creates. Now, this could be an interesting story if the involved characters were interesting - if there was a sense of conflict among the succeeding generation. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If there is any conflict, it's between the dying generation (Richard Rheinwald) and his children about the future of the family bakery that has been in the family for generations and that Richard considers his lifework. None of his dimwitted children are capable of or interested in continuing the bakery business.

Other reviewers has praised this movie for the emotion it displays. If brooding confused adults is your thing, then this movie has emotion. Albeit unbelievable. While Richard Rheinwald has a seemingly genuine personality that slowly descends into despair, his family is remarkably dull. Most of the family members are just briefly explored. Most attention is given to Ditte Rheinwald, Richards daughter. She cannot decide whether or not to have a child. Whether or not to move to New York or stay in Denmark. Whether or not to be an artist or a baker. Whether or not to put her father in a nursing home or just his home. And when she eventually makes decisions, she remains confused and uncertain about them. In one scene she lashes out against her boyfriend and accuses him of not having any character, creating a psychological projection of her own insecurities.

Anyway, for me it was a drag to follow these indecisive daughters. I guess the message that the director may be trying to convey is that strong dominating patriarchs can perhaps create dull confused children. I don't know. This movie didn't leave any impression on me, it didn't give me anything to reflect upon.

I decided to give this movie 3 stars in recognition of the sporadic glimpses of comedy and in recognition of Jesper Christensens and Pilou Asbæks performances.

Extremely gripping and very well acted Danish film is no easy watch as it's cutting no corners. Jesper Christensen is sublime and proves that he's not only one of the best Danish actors, but one of the best, period. It's a film about overcoming illness, staying together as a family and about giving up hopes and dreams to support your loved ones.

Normally, I'm not overly fond of the kitchen-sink approach that most Danish films tend to use, but when it's this well acted, with a tight script, it's hard not to be touched.

Pernille Fischer Christensen is a very talented director and she orchestrates the film beautifully and sure-footed. If you can handle a tough, no-holds-barred drama, A Family delivers and stays with you afterwards.

This film starts with a short introduction into the life of a family and the reason why it still is how it is. Basically a fairly normal family with two grown up daughters, divorced parents, a father that is living with his new girlfriend and their two children. All of it completely normal.

Even though it doesn't follow a high pace it is entirely captivating. It grips the audience and slowly takes them on a journey through the lives of what is just a family. With everything that happens one can feel more of a bond with the members of the family and feel their joy and pain - and that works very well.

The way the characters are played is amazing. Every single one of them comes across as a completely real person and every single event is believable. The gripping tension is enough to have one leave the cinema slightly dented and bruised - in a good way.

9 out of 10 corner stones

This is a small Danish film that explores the intimacies and delicate threads that hold families together. It is quiet, contemplative, and pulls the viewer into the film to the point where every member of this family is someone with whom we can closely relate.

The film opens in a very unique manner: black and white snapshots give the history of the Rheinwald family, beginning with the great grandfather who walked form Germany to Denmark carrying a sack of grain through the gradual creation and building of a bakery always run by family, a bakery that becomes the purveyors of baked goods to the Royalty of Denmark. Once the story begins we meet the elder chief of the bakery Rikard Rheinwald (Jesper Christensen) who despite the past year of being on chemotherapy for lung cancer has survived and remains the driving force behind the successful family business. Rikard has two daughters by his first failed marriage - Ditte (Lene Maria Christensen) who owns an art gallery and has a live-in boyfriend Peter (Johan Philip 'Pilou' Asbæk) who is an artist, and the younger daughter Chrisser (Line Kruse) - and lives now with his girlfriend Sanne (Anne Louise Hassing) with whom he has two more children, Line (Coco Hjardemaal) and Werner (Gustav Fischer Kjærulff). Ditte has been offered a prominent position with Gagosian Gallery in New York and she and Peter plan to move there.

When the letter from the hospital arrives stating the Rikard has no more lung cancer the family celebrates; Rikard marries Sanne and all seems well. An unexpected physical development occurs and leads to a diagnosis of inoperable cerebral metastases. Rikard, feeling defeated, hates hospitals and insists on being at home instead of a hospice. He informs Ditte that as his eldest child she is the one to inherit the Rheinwald Bakery. Ditte is severely conflicted. She and Peter have made significant decisions about their relationship and Ditte must choose between following her father's mandate or living her own dreams. The manner in which this family is affected by the gradual demise of the patriarch is deeply touching and realistic. In the end this story explores every aspect of the meaning of family - birth to death - in a manner that allows the audience to understand the actions and motivations of each member.

The cast is exceptional, with the performances of Jesper Christensen and Lene Maria Christensen being particularly sensitive. Kim Fupz Aakeson wrote the story and screenplay with writer director Pernille Fischer Christensen. The moody interiors as captured by cinematographer Jakob Ihre remind us of the paintings of Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershoi. This is finely wrought little film that is one of the most tender views of family on film.

Grady Harp