Force Majeure

Another genius sign of the brilliant zeitgeist in cinema internationally in 2014, when the best films have never been smarter. Though wildly different in so many ways, this film reminded me of the tour de force genius of Birdman. Both films are so smart, both films are made with unbelievable precision in every aspect of their craft, both are gorgeous, both come very close to tragedy, and both films pull back from the edge, because going over would be a dumb cliche both films are too starkly smart, honest, and realistic about life to entertain.

Force Majeure is built around a strong and relatable premise, but its execution remains frustratingly subdued. The film captures the discomfort of social roles collapsing under pressure, yet it avoids pushing the situation toward meaningful rupture or transformation. What remains is a series of awkward, realistic interactions that feel emotionally restrained to a fault. The realism is admirable, but the absence of escalation or deeper consequence leaves the film feeling thematically underdeveloped.

In Swedish writer/director Ruben Östlund’s fourth feature, a nuclear Swedish family takes on a skiing vacation in a luxury resort at the French Alps, Tomas (Kuhnke) and Ebba (Kongsli) with their two kids Harry and Vera, however as the title suggests, Tomas’ one instinct reaction during a "force majeure” - an avalanche which turns out to be a false alarm, and his further denial triggers the marital dissonance between them, and eventually puts their marriage through an unanticipated test. keep reading my review on my blog, please google: cinema omnivore, thanks

My reaction was similar to that of the dreadfully underwhelming Locke (2013). This movie builds to almost nothing by the time credits role. I can appreciate subtlety, a slow burn, a simple premise, a dialogue heavy drama, and I don't need a movie to be shouting and telling me how I should feel or that something should be funny or sad, but Force Majeure is not just subtle or simple it is boring. It is painfully under-edited with shots lingering static and the soundscape becoming silent far too often and without justification. There is good acting and hints at some interesting social critique. A disagreement between a woman seemingly in a polyamorous relationship that is going well juxtaposed with a woman whose marriage could be heading towards divorce comes to mind. Another argument involving a couple where the man was twice the woman's age over generational differences is another. But one word consistently comes to mind regarding the majority of this movie and that is underwhelming. I found almost none of it funny and the incredibly low energy film making deflates the moments I think the director intended to be comedic. I've seen this be described as hilarious by other user reviews and I have to question whether we saw the same movie. Tormund from Game of Thrones at least brought some liveliness to his scenes.

sigh...i'd like 1.5 hours out of 2 back. what started out as a fascinating examination of male/female dynamics very slowly devolved into a boring film. tight editing would've helped the story immensely. for once, i'm in total agreement with the Academy--the film def didn't deserve a nomination.