Where & When: Landmark Theatres, West Los Angeles, CA. August 7, 2019 7:30 PM
In "After The Wedding", a well-to-do family is nearly crushed by the weight of so many secrets they have held and lies they have told each other. This glossy drama from writer/director, Bart Freundlich begins with interesting promise before dissolving in to overwrought and highly implausible histrionics. And the solid performances from Michelle Williams and Mr. Freundlich's wife, Julianne Moore are unable to keep the film from flying off the rails.
We first meet Isabel (Williams), an American who helps run an orphanage in Kolkata, India. With the school struggling financially, a wealthy American philanthropist makes a surprising offer with a large donation for the orphanage. But in order to get the potential funds, Isabel must go to New York and meet the benefactor in person to prove it is a worthy investment. Reluctant to leave but desperately needing this financial lifeline, Isabel decides to go back to the States.
When Isabel arrives in Manhattan, she is greeted by a car, taken to a five-star hotel and provided with a personal attendant who will cater to anything she could possibly need. Living very modestly and surrounded by abject poverty, all of this fuss and opulence is jarring for her to witness.
The benefactor is Theresa Young (Moore), a woman highly successful in business and life with her handsome artist husband, Oscar (Billy Crudup), their lovely daughter, Grace (Abby Quinn) and two adorable twin boys. As Isabel tries to convince her of all the good the money will do to help the children in the orphanage, Theresa is clearly distracted. Since Abby is about to be married the next day and with plenty of preparations still needing to be completed for the elaborate affair , this discussion should happen after the wedding. And Theresa insists that Isabel attend the nuptials.
When she arrives at the wedding, Isabel is shocked to discover that she knows Theresa's husband and eventually realizing that her being summoned to New York was an intentional plan. This sets off a series of life-changing events where painful and difficult truths are finally revealed.
This is not the first time this story has been told. It was originally a 2006 Danish film, "Efter brylluppet" from Academy Award-winning director, Susanne Bier. The film was a critical and box-office hit, receiving plenty of accolades including a Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar nomination.
For the American version, Mr. Freundlich's script has switched the gender of the lead characters from male to female which certainly adds a fresh perspective to the narrative. But "After The Wedding" suffers from the same problem that plagues many remakes that are set in foreign countries. As the story has being translated to accommodate U.S. audiences, the film loses much of the compelling character development, complexity and restraint that made the original so appealing in the first place. While the intentions for all of this deception should appear to be out of love and protection yet as depicted in this film, the dishonesty comes across more as self-serving and cruel.
But that doesn't mean this family melodrama won't hold your attention and that is largely due to the committed work by Ms Williams and Ms Moore. As a woman who has devoted her life to caring for abandoned children in order to escape a difficult decision from her past, Williams is quite riveting. And Moore is endlessly fascinating as a controlling businesswoman who soon discovers that there are some things that money and power cannot buy.
"After The Wedding" manages to feel heavy-handed and lightweight. The performers give their all to deliver moments of genuine emotion yet it's muted by the narrative trappings of a stylish, American soap opera. This leaves us with a film that doesn't feel distinctive or necessary. And that leads directly to the point that sometimes there is no good reason to remake a perfectly good film. Even if it's in a language other than English.
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