Force Majeure (2014) (Swedish & English Language)

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Review

120min

Cast: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Kristofer Hivju…more

A young handsome middle-class Swedish family’s ski vacation at a posh hotel in the French Alps is thrown into disarray as they face an avalanche, when the dust clears and despite no physical trauma the dad’s reaction to a seemingly life-threatening event shakes the family unit to its foundations and places everyone in an existential quandary that forces them to question the very nature of human relationships.

As a family relationship drama ‘Force Majeure’ differs fundamentally from other films in the genre in that the drama comes from a tragedy that is actually avoided, what moves the narrative along is the reaction to a dramatic event that spirals into the characters questioning everything about their marriage and the concept itself.

As all good reflective drama does this film sheds an uncomfortable light on elements within relationships that many people will relate to, particularly regarding the nature of gender-specific parental roles within a marriage.

Writer/director Ruben Östlund does an admirable job of weaving surprisingly profound philosophical questions into the narrative, questions about how social norms fare against our powerful primal instincts in extreme situations and how this balance differs from person to person and between the sexes, all done of course with typically dry Scandinavian wit and sensibility.

The film is also visually stunning with panoramic vistas and a Kubrick-esque shooting style with low angles and tracking shots following the actors from behind, clearly Östlund was heavily inspired by the Shining and there is a clear “Overlook” feel to the hotel, without the isolation and impending doom of course.

Despite all its merits ‘Force Majeure’ will not be to everyone’s liking, the pace is slow and deliberate and there are long periods of characters pondering and being introspective, there is no big final payoff and the ending is a little bizarre and unfulfilling, this is not a film to watch if you’re looking for comfort and quick thrills.

Unexpected, challenging, thought-provoking and memorable, ‘Force Majeure’ is one of the better relationship dramas you are likely to see for a while and a great alternative to anything currently out in UK cinemas, a clever and captivating little foreign film.