In Denmark called 'Den skaldede frisør ' which means 'The bald hairdresser', a rather better title than our bland UK alternative. The story is by Bier and Andres Thomas Jensen, who wrote the screenplay. Their joint CV contains many interesting projects such as
In a Better World (Oscar Best Foreign Film: bullies)
, Things We Lost in the Fire (Halle Berry as a widow)
, After the Wedding (Oscar nominated: Mads Mikkelsen learns a family secret)
and
Brothers (many European film awards: one brother goes to Afghanistan).
Pierce Brosnan is a bitter company executive who literally bumps into his future daughter-in-law's mother (an absolutely wonderful performance by Trine Dyrholm) a breast cancer patient who's husband's been thoughtfully cheating on her, on the way to the wedding in Sorrento (a bit we didn't recognise, accessed by boat).
Paprika Steen (below) is Pierce's dead wife's overbearing sister, Kim Bodnia the unfaithful husband (known to us from
The Bridge), Sebastien Jessen the obviously gay bridegroom, Molly Blixt Egelind the bride-to-be and Micky Skeel Hansen as Trine's son (both in lower still).
A wedding party that goes wrong reminds me of a lighter version of
Festen (which also features Dhyholm).
It's quite predictable, but nuanced (the son hasn't just broken his arm falling over) and not sentimental, which is a big plus, and Brosnan reminds us he's always in search of interesting parts, and makes us want to see
Matador again. But ultimately, it's Trine's face - bewildered, happy, bewigged, bald - that leaves the lasting impression.
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