Movie Review: After The Wedding (2019)

Genre: Family Drama

Director: Bart Freundlich

Starring: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Billy Crudup

Running Time: 110 minutes

Synopsis: Isabel (Michelle Williams) runs a cash-strapped orphanage in India. Successful businesswoman Theresa (Julianne Moore) summons Isabel to New York City to discuss a potential large donation. After meeting Theresa's husband Oscar (Billy Crudup) and about-to-be-married daughter Grace (Abby Quinn), Isabel realizes she has deep and painful connections with Theresa's family.

What Works Well: This remake of a 2006 Danish-Swedish film is stocked full of twists, and the continuous stream of surprises demands attention. Searing commentary on themes of parental responsibility, guilt, and the messy search for redemption and resolution surfaces through the revelations. Michelle Williams (dour) and Julianne Moore (smug) navigate emotional traumas with confidence.

What Doesn't Work As Well: Too much of a good thing - the sheer number of shocks from the past and present results in emotional overload and eventually numbs the impact. From a stand-back stance, some character motivations are dubious.

Conclusion: A rollercoaster of disclosures, with both smooth and bumpy sections.



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