The Celebration

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, devastating potrait of a family
Review: "The Celebration" was made under the rules of Dogma 95, a pact about how a movie is to be made. It was signed by several Danish filmmakers including Thomas Vintenberger, the director of "Celebration". The rules include using only hand held cameras, no artificial lighting, no props except those found on location. Dogma 95 is an attempt to get away from the artificiality of Hollywood-style movie making, but, in its own way, it's artificial itself because it works only with certain kinds of movies. "The Celebration", though, happens to fit perfectly into its rules. The hand held camera work, for example, only adds to the tension of this powerful and devastating film.

A large family gathers to celebrate the 60th birthday of its patriarch. Among the celebrants are the man's grown children, a daughter and two sons. A fourth child, a twin of one son, recently killed herself in the family's country inn where the party takes place. One son, Michael [Thomas Bo Larson], is a loud and pushy guy who drinks a lot and is less than an understanding husband and father. Helene [Paprika Steen], the daughter, is an anthropologist who has traveled the world. We find out that she has good reason to distance herself from the family. Christian [Ulrich Thomson], the twin, is a man who has been in a mental institution more than once. For a time, the children try their best to put on a cheerful front. But there is a dark family secret which is about to come out. It will destroy the family.

Despairing as it may be, this is one of the most riveting films I have seen in a long time. The acting is absolutely wonderful. The script is brilliant and brutally frank. Rarely have I seen a movie with so much insightful into the enormous complexities of relationships within a family. While your family hopefully does not have secrets this shocking, you should still be able to relate to the emotions involved.

This is the kind of movie you have to pay close attention to. In particular, pay attention to a small piece of paper that keeps cropping up.

Highly recommended to people who like highly charged dramas and who like some substance to their movies.

Rating:
Summary: "Every family has a secret."
Review: Thomas Vinterberg's "The Celebration" examines what happens when the unease typically in the air at a family gathering transforms into horror upon the revelation of a dark family secret to everyone in attendance. Yet, the most noteworthy aspect of this film is not so much its story but the manner in which that story is told. "The Celebration" is a fascinating venture that is equal parts a straight drama and a surreal experimental work.

Helge (Henning Moritzen) is celebrating his 60th birthday at his family inn at Denmark. His three children, Christian (Ulrich Thomsen), Michael (Thomas Bo Larsen), and Helene (Paprika Steen) return home for the party but their joy is tempered by a recent suicide in the family. At the birthday celebration, Christian stands before the assembled guests and exclaims that his father is not the upstanding man that many believe him to be. In fact, Christian accuses his father of horrible acts committed upon his children when they were younger. The evening further spirals out of control when Helene's boyfriend becomes the target of the family's bigotry and a servant reveals an affair she had with a family member. By the next morning, the dynamics of Helge's family have irrevocably changed.

"The Celebration" is one of the products of the "Dogma 95" document in which a group of Danish directors pledged to shoot films using only hand-held cameras and the natural sounds and props found on location. These films were not to include any special effects or musical scores. This minimalist approach to filmmaking proves fascinating as it allows the true essence of the creative process to filter through in the end product. Vinterberg had nothing at his disposal to enhance or salvage his film if what he had on film proved lacking. He had to produce an involving product with only his wits and instincts to guide him on a day-to-day basis. Did he succeed? Most definitely. One viewing of "The Celebration" proves that Vinterberg successfully crafted a quality film in as pure and raw a form as possible. It is a testament to the unconventional and unyielding vision of a talented director.

Rating:
Summary: FESTEN / DOGME #1
Review: what's it about?... a family gathering for helge klingenfeldt's 60th birthday.(played by henning moritzen.)...

who's directing it?... thomas vinterberg , who is also know for a film he directed back in 1996 called: "de storste helte" (an exellent road movie btw)

is it worth buying?... only if: you like dark humour,refreshing filmmaking,cinema verite,well written & realistic dialogues,great acting, "dogme95" style & foreign films...

what is dogme95?... a type of filmaking that follows 10 distinct rules:1)shooting on location,sets & props must not be brought in...2)the sound is never be produced apart from the images...3)the camera must be hand-held...4)film must be in color,no special lighting acceptable...5)filters are forbidden...6)no superficial action...7)temporal & geographical alienation are forbidden...8)genre movies are not acceptable...9)film format must be academy 35mm...10)the director must not be credited.

the celebration is not a feel good film but it's a classic!

other great dogme films:lars von trier's idioterne (the idiots) , harmony korine's "julien the donkey boy , vincent lannoo's "strass" ..etc..