Member review

(Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead) This was the first Dogma 95 film I had ever seen, and it may be the last too. But before I get on to why that is, the plot is at first elusive, and later becomes enthralling. Helge (Henning Moritzen) is a wealthy, successful business man celebrating his 60th birthday with his friends and family. Among them is Christian (Ulrich Thomsen), Helge's eldest son, who traveled from Paris to be at the party. Things seem to go well, the party runs smoothly. However, when dinner is served, Christian reveals dark secrets that tie him and his siblings with Helge, and threatens the peace of the party altogether. One of the good points to Festen is the delivery of it's subject matter, and the confusion it causes for the audience. It is very hard to discern fact from fiction, especially since we find out more about Helge and Christian's past and struggle to determine who is telling the truth. Another factor the film gets right is tension. We never know if someone is going to get hurt, or even killed (however, if you are familiar with the Dogma 95 rules, then it is evident that no death takes place), and the documentary feel to the film gives it sense of being grounded in reality, especially since one of the requirements is that it has to take place in the present, and must not become a genre movie. The themes of sexual abuse, suicide and the strength of the family bond were incorporated very well. However, there are things I found difficult with the film. Firstly, the camera flew about everywhere. Since the camera is actually required to be handheld only, it is understandable, but it makes it very difficult to figure out where we are being placed in the shots. It also means that there is also constant wobble when static on the characters faces, giving a sense of instability. Then, there is the issue of editing. The Dogma 95 rules state that no non-diegetic sound is to be used. However, there seems to be a huge inconsistency in sound almost every time the camera cuts. It is very noticeable, and bugged me throughout the entirety of the screening. Another issue I saw was the reasoning behind Helge's decision to keep everyone in the house. It made absolutely no sense to me, and I thought, going on Christian's actions, it would be better if he made the guests leave. Overall, this was an interesting film, which is worth watching if you are interested in the Dogma style, but it for me it was the style which ruined it for me. It's a film which could have gone through editing much better, and had major problems in plot and production.