Force Majeure explores human and natural disasters [Review]

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By Melanie Leung
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This tragedy reveals an ugly truth about a French family

By Melanie Leung |
Published: 
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Force Majeure shows you don't need a huge budget, a mass of visual effects, or even a complex storyline to make a really good film.

Swedish director Ruben Östlund portrays the emotional tension that builds up within a middle-class family after they survive a man-made avalanche in the Alps during a skiing vacation. The family was enjoying lunch when the avalanche struck near the restaurant. Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke) runs away by himself in his panic, leaving his wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) to protect their two young children.

Nobody is injured, but something more detrimental happens: Ebba loses respect for her husband, and his refusal to admit his cowardice drives her crazy. You can sympathise with her frustration, but as she forces Tomas to confront the truth, you wonder if she has she gone too far. 

The film is darkly comical, where everything seems cold and controlled, but you know a disaster is just around the corner. It doesn't take an avalanche to ruin your life.

Contains mature content

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