oscar jubis
10-28-2007, 09:27 AM
What sets apart Danish helmer Susanne Bier's new Things We Lost in the Fire from her previous films is only the language spoken. Her Hollywood move didn't require compromising her style or abandoning her central themes. The films by which Bier achieved an international reputation involve complex people facing tragic situations within the context of the family unit. She's not afraid of "big" emotions, perhaps because she knows she can handle them without resorting to melodramatic devices. Things We Lost in the Fire also fits that description, and Halle Berry and Benicio del Toro are every bit as accomplished as the Danish thespians that were so impressive in films like Brothers and Open Hearts.
Berry is Audrey, a housewife and mother whose husband Steven (David Duchovny) is killed when he attempts to protect a woman from her enraged husband. Audrey has always disapproved of Steven's friendship with his heroin-addicted childhood friend Jerry (del Toro). Audrey knows Steven would want Jerry at the funeral, so she sends her brother to fetch him. It becomes evident that Jerry has lost the only person who didn't abandon him when he became a heavy user. Audrey tentatively assumes her husband's role in Jerry's life and draws closer in order to help him. She asks Jerry to move into her garage. Afflicted by tragic loss and the burden of helping her 6 year-old son and 10 year-old daughter through the crisis, Audrey, and the kids, begin to rely on Jerry.
Bier's desperate characters have always been multi-faceted. Jerry may be vulnerable and self-destructive but he's also smart and generous. Benicio del Toro, one of our best actors, imbues him with warmth and humor, even when Jerry is being put though the familiar, low ebbs of an addict's life. What's most interesting and sustaining about Things We Lost in the Fire is Audrey's ambivalence about her relationship with Jerry, her constant push-and-pull. Particularly rewarding are passages in which Jerry assumes a benign, paternal role in the lives of the kids. He fills a void in the kids' lives where dad used to be. Berry effortlessly conveys Audrey's conflicting appreciation and resentment towards Jerry.
The most common criticism aimed at Things We Lost in the Fire concerns Steven being too good to be true; too "saintly", in the words of a prominent critic. Indeed, he is depicted as a thoughtful husband, loyal friend, good samaritan and "genius" real-estate developer. And I'd agree he is the film's least interesting character. But Steven is clearly a secondary character. One only seen post-mortem, in flashbacks. These are, to some extent, the memories of those who loved him; what they miss about him.
Bier is "the new kid in town" and her fame and recognition is well-deserved. Both Brothers and Open Hearts are slated for Hollywood remakes. Her last Danish film, After the Wedding, received an Oscar nomination, and good reviews when it opened in US theaters in the spring. Bier has a knack for finding fresh angles from which to approach familiar situations. Things We Lost in the Fire, her first English-language film, is no exception.
Berry is Audrey, a housewife and mother whose husband Steven (David Duchovny) is killed when he attempts to protect a woman from her enraged husband. Audrey has always disapproved of Steven's friendship with his heroin-addicted childhood friend Jerry (del Toro). Audrey knows Steven would want Jerry at the funeral, so she sends her brother to fetch him. It becomes evident that Jerry has lost the only person who didn't abandon him when he became a heavy user. Audrey tentatively assumes her husband's role in Jerry's life and draws closer in order to help him. She asks Jerry to move into her garage. Afflicted by tragic loss and the burden of helping her 6 year-old son and 10 year-old daughter through the crisis, Audrey, and the kids, begin to rely on Jerry.
Bier's desperate characters have always been multi-faceted. Jerry may be vulnerable and self-destructive but he's also smart and generous. Benicio del Toro, one of our best actors, imbues him with warmth and humor, even when Jerry is being put though the familiar, low ebbs of an addict's life. What's most interesting and sustaining about Things We Lost in the Fire is Audrey's ambivalence about her relationship with Jerry, her constant push-and-pull. Particularly rewarding are passages in which Jerry assumes a benign, paternal role in the lives of the kids. He fills a void in the kids' lives where dad used to be. Berry effortlessly conveys Audrey's conflicting appreciation and resentment towards Jerry.
The most common criticism aimed at Things We Lost in the Fire concerns Steven being too good to be true; too "saintly", in the words of a prominent critic. Indeed, he is depicted as a thoughtful husband, loyal friend, good samaritan and "genius" real-estate developer. And I'd agree he is the film's least interesting character. But Steven is clearly a secondary character. One only seen post-mortem, in flashbacks. These are, to some extent, the memories of those who loved him; what they miss about him.
Bier is "the new kid in town" and her fame and recognition is well-deserved. Both Brothers and Open Hearts are slated for Hollywood remakes. Her last Danish film, After the Wedding, received an Oscar nomination, and good reviews when it opened in US theaters in the spring. Bier has a knack for finding fresh angles from which to approach familiar situations. Things We Lost in the Fire, her first English-language film, is no exception.