Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
'After the Wedding' is subtle drama on motherhood, family dynamic
Michelle Williams, left, and Julianne Moore in a scene from film "After the Wedding" / Courtesy of JINJIN Pictures
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
“After the Wedding” is a gender-swapping English-language remake of Susanne Bier's 2006 Danish drama of the same title. The movie shows the sharp contrast in the setup of the two main characters and their positions in society.
Isabel (Michelle Williams) helps run an orphanage in India with scarce financial resources. She receives an offer from a potential donor, Theresa (Julianne Moore), and flies to New York to receive a $2 million donation.
The two meet on the eve of Theresa's daughter's wedding, to which Isabel receives an invitation.
Isabel gets frustrated by the delay over the donation but decides to stay and attend the wedding party because she is “not going back without a suitcase full of money.”
As the title suggests, most of the drama takes place after the wedding with some revelations that are best kept in the dark.
“The story starts subtle and then becomes incredibly dramatic,” Billy Crudup, who plays Theresa's husband Oscar, said of the film.
“There is a lot of backstory on 20 years ago that kind of comes loose now. How to carry that story with each of the characters was important when making the film,” director Bart Freundlich said.
Freundlich added that he tried to make three-dimensional characters. In fact, his intentions are well portrayed in the two protagonists who have dual character aspects.
Poster for the film "After the Wedding" Courtesy of JINJIN Pictures
Isabel appears to be a naively idealistic aid worker, but proves that she can be tough as well.
Meanwhile, materialistic Theresa uses her wealth to exert power over others, but as the film progresses, her vulnerability takes over.
Despite the film's aesthetic setting and thematically resonant narrative, many scenes finish abruptly while some major conflicts are either avoided or not shown in full.
That aside, “After the Wedding” gently guides the audience to reflect on how the mundane is to be prized and every choice determines the outcome of one's life.
The film will hit local theaters, April 23.