One of the most daring and audacious film-makers to emerge in the last decade, Ruben Östlund hit a new peak with Force Majeure, a critical hit at this year’s cannes festival. As in his previous films Involuntary and Play, with his latest Östlund turns a keenly analytic eye on those principles we supposedly live by, and explores what happens when the codes of conduct enforcing those principles are abruptly stripped away.
On a family skiing vacation in the French Alps, married couple Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) and Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) are enjoying lunch with their two children when their meal is suddenly interrupted by thunderous booms emanating from the mountain above them. The complacent Tomas initially dismisses the possibility of danger – but when it appears that there may be an avalanche, he grabs his cell phone and bolts, leaving his wife and children to fend for themselves. The remainder of the film monitors the fallout from this fateful incident, as husband and wife hotly debate what actually occurred, and what Tomas’ proper response should have been – a battle that eventually threatens not just Tomas and Ebba’s relationship, but those of the people around them.
Both psychologically and sociologically acute, Force Majeure boasts a number of bravura moments that range from terrifying to comic.
Tickets: $12 General Admission | $7 Students (with ID)
Discount flex passes available by phone (604) 981-6335
Sweden/Norway/Denmark/France, 2014
English, Swedish, French with English subtitles
118 minutes
Starring: Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli,
Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren
