:
Ulrich Thomsen,
Ulrich Thomsen,
Lisa Werlinder,
more...
:
Per Fly,
Per Fly
see all cast/crew...
: Homevision
: Drama, Foreign, France, Scandinavia
: 115 min.
: French
: English
see additional details...
|
|
A man is torn between love, family, and a responsibility he does not want in this drama. Christoffer (Ulrich Thomsen) used to work for his family's steel company, but when the stress of the job began taking a serious toll on his health, he left the firm and now happily runs a restaurant in Stockholm and is married to Maria (Lisa Werlinder), a lovely and promising stage actress. At the urging of his father, Christoffer flies to Denmark for a family visit, only to discover upon arrival that his dad has just killed himself. Christoffer quickly discovers why: the steel business is on the verge of collapse and his mother (Ghita Nørby) urges him to take over rather than let his brother-in-law Ulrik (Lars Brygmann) assume control. Christoffer reluctantly agrees, but before long, his decision begins to drive a wedge between himself and Maria, while his difficulty in reviving the failing business forces him to deal honestly with his employees in a manner he's not accustomed to, as well as dealing with the uncomfortable points of corporate power. Arven (aka The Inheritance) is the second part of a trilogy by director Per Fly on the three primary social classes, following his 2000 debut Bænken. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
|
| Family v. Individual
by talltale
June 14, 2005 - 7:00 AM PDT
|
|
|
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
|
Never uninteresting if a bit obvious, the Danish film THE INHERITANCE tracks the downward slide of man caught between his needs (and those of his girlfriend) and the pull of his wealthy family and its major steel-producing business. Because the film is built as a flashback, there's not much you can't guess from the first fifteen minutes, although the family machinations and the depth of this guy's sellout are at times overwhelming.
Although the film seems to want to have it both ways--the family truly does need him; what an awful thing it is to give up one's dreams and true love--by the end you may not have much sympathy for this weak and craven mama's boy whose spine disappears far too early in the game. Compromise is one thing (and we all have to manage it) but doesn't that usually mean that BOTH sides end up sharing the good and the bad?
Performances are fine, with very attractive actors in the leads and some familiar faces in the subsidiary roles. Sets and locations also seem a bit more varied, warm and traditionally attractive than those of other Scandinavian films. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.43)
7 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.