[FilmReview]AftertheWedding(2019)6.5/10

Hollywood’sremakingbusinessisalwaysamug’sgame(whetherofitsownrepertoireorforeigntonguegoodies),evenforanactorwiththecaliberofJulianneMoore(withatrackrecordincludingPSYCHO1998,CHLOE2009,CARRIE2013),whohastoscrapetherecycledbarreltogetnewprojectsfinanced,whichmaypointedlysignalthehemorrhageordeficiencyofwomen-savvyscribesintheTinseltown,andleavethecurrentsituationmuchtobedesired.AfterherterrificturninSebastiánLelio’sself-reflexiveremakeGLORIABELL(2018),Moore’sfollowingactinggigisanotherone,AFTERTHEWEDDINGisanAmericanadaptationofSusanneBier’s2006DanishOscarBestForeignLanguageFilmnomineeofthesamename,andthistime,herhubbyBartFreundlichisthewriteranddirecter,his7thfeature(fourofwhichstarringMoore).Thankstoanover-a-decadetime-span,thisrevieweronlyretainsarathervaguememoryofBier’soriginal(savethatMadsMikkelsenandSidseBabettKnundsenarebrilliantinit!),whichturnsouttobeablessingtoretainthesuspenseoftheplot.Apartfromthelocationandnationalitychangeandthewith-itgenderswap,Freundlich’sremakefollowscloselytoBier’sstoryline.Isabel(Williams),anAmericanwhohasexpendedmostofherlifeinrunninganorphanageinCalcutta,India,isrequestedtomeetapotentialbenefactor,themulti-millionaireentrepreneurTheresaYoung(Moore)inNewYork,whoisconsideringdonatingmillionstoIsabel’sstrappedinstitution.IsabeliscasuallyinvitedtoattendtheweddingofGrace(Quinn),Theresa’s20-year-olddaughter,onlytobewrong-footedwhensherealizesthatsheisGrace’sbiologicalmother,andGrace’sartistfather,Oscar(Crudup)isherex-lover,whorenegesfromtheirconsensualdecisiontosendtheirnewbornbabyforadoption,andwithoutinformingIsabel,heraisesGraceonhisown,andlatermarriesTheresa.Soafterthewedding,whatcomesnext,afuneralperhaps?Itdoesn’trequiremuchdeliberationtosmellthemanipulationbehindthissheercoincidence,inspiteofTheresaplays“Ididn’tknow”cardasnaturallyaspossible,andthemovie’sTaiwantitlecanbeliterallytranslatedas“Canyoumarrymyhusband?”,thatcomesasadeadgiveawayofthetwist,alsopromptedbyTheresa’sobsessionwithanemptybirdnestwithbrokeneggshells.Intime,herarrière-penséecannolongerbeconcealedandoncehercardsarelaidintheopen,theconundrumfallsontoIsabel,leavingherlifelongendeavorinIndia,nottomentionherstrongconnectionwithalocalorphanboyJai(Pachisia)andreturningtoNewYork,livingontheeasystreetwithherowndaughterwithmillionsoffundsunderboth’snames,Theresa’sofferistoomunificenttodecline,andIsabel’sfinalcapitulationseemslikeamissedopportunitytoupgradethetreacle-likestorytosomethingmoreurgentlyresonant,sincethewhitesaviorscenarioisnolongerpopularanymore,thedisenchantmentandstruggleofanidealistshouldhavebeenthecynosure.Asamelodrama,AFTERTHEWEDDINGdisproportionatelyhingesonthetwofemaleperformershere,Moorejugglesdexterouslybetweenalovingmother(includingatrademarkbawlingconfession)andasharp-edgedbusinesswoman(teeingoffonhersecretaryisago-tooptiontoshowTheresa’sdivaside),andthemovieisatitsbestwhenMooreplaysoffwithanequallyexcellentWilliams,whoemphaticallyrefusestodialdownIsabel’sskepticisminthefaceofaboltoutofblueandsuspiciouswindfalls,alsosendsoffherindignationbydoffinghershoes(aknee-jerkingreactionreflectingtheworldshelivesin),theirblunt-versus-peremptoryinterplayattestswhywelovetowatchactressestryingtoupstageeachotheriftheyaregrantedastagetogether.CrudupiseversoaptinsupportinghistwoleadingladiesandputsonamaskonOscar’sownagenda,onlybetraysitinsmallgestureswithbothfrustrationandcompassion,whereasnewcomerAbbyQuinn’sGraceisladenwiththemostdramatichappenstances(gettingmarried,thenregrettingit,herbirthmother,whomshereckonsisdead,croppingupoutofnowhere,plusbadtidingsofanimpendingbereavement),butnotenoughcontenttoundersetthem,saveadauntinglove-gushingmomentthatcanbeeasilyreadascringe-worthy,Graceshouldhavebeenthemostconflictedcharacter,butthefilmdoesn’tgiveherenoughcredit,asIsaid,itisamug’sgameandAFTERTHEWEDDINGhasnodistinctiontobreakthatcurse.referentialentries:SusanneBier’sAFTERTHEWEDDING(2006,7.3/10);Freundlich’sTRUSTTHEMAN(2005,6.1/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。