I watched a dozen short films today, the live action and animated Oscar Nominees, plus two other animated shorts included to make the program long enough. This was the best.
I've seen it derided as a one joke comedy that wears very thin, and this would be true if it were a comedy. And indeed there was a scene, you'll know the one, where most of the people in the theater were laughing uproariously. I found myself attempting to get into the fetal position and unable to stop crying.
We don't do death well as a culture. Apparently the Danes don't either. Only the senior morgue attendant has been able to come to terms with death, and for him it has become banal. The acting is excellent, though Jens Jørn Spottag stands out as another man trying to come to terms with saying good bye to his wife.
This isn't to say that there is no levity here. There is a "meet cute" between Torben and Karl, and a simply amazing letter from Torben to his late wife. It must be seen to be believed. But ultimately all the performances are powerful examples of how poorly we deal with it.
