By Britt Perkins
The ethereal sounds of Sigur Ros smooth over the erratic, handheld photography as viewers are introduced to the orphans of India. Living simply and brightly in color, the shaking and jarring evokes the ups and downs of life as one person constantly overwhelmed by stimuli and context.
Suddenly, it’s raining men. In an SUV. In Denmark. It’s The Weather Girls belting out their hit from 1982. The contrast is sharp, intentional and unexpected, as is most of the storytelling in this film. Poignant but not overproduced, the relationships unravel in a thought-provoking and refreshing style.
I chose this film on a whim. Skimming over the synopsis, I had some idea that the film was about Indian orphans.
Well, it is and it isn’t. Mostly it isn’t.
Because I’m trying to avoid spoilers, I’ll say this film is about family.
It’s about how the choices you make in your 20s catch up with you in your 40s.
It’s about stereotypes and contradictions.
Can you make up for your past? Can you be a good person and still live in a 9,000 square foot house? Can you lie to protect people without hurting them?
Is being a father to three children more important than being a teacher to hundreds?
This film explores these issues and provides answers, while also leaving you to form your own conclusions.
Check out the trailer:
Synopsis:
“To save the failing orphanage he runs in India, Danish transplant Jacob Petersen (Mads Mikkelsen) returns to his homeland to meet a self-indulgent businessman named Jørgen who’s offered a generous donation — and represents everything the noble-minded Jacob abhors. Complicating matters further are the unusual strings Jørgen has attached to his so-called gift. Rolf Lassgård co-stars in this Oscar-nominated emotional powerhouse of a drama.”
