LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED

Denmark, 2010, 117 minutes, Colour.
Trini Dyrholm, Pierce Brosnan, Sebastian Jessen, Molly Blixt Egelind, Paprika Steen.
Directed by Susan Bier.

The tone of the title indicates that this will be a lighter than darker film, softer than harder. It is, although the lightness is Scandinavian lightness, which means it is not entirely a frothy love story. There are more serious undertones.

The film is directed by Suzanne Bier whose films tend to be much more serious. Her film, In a Better Place, won the Oscar for Best Foreign language film of 2010. Other films include Things we lost in the Fire, After the Wedding, Brothers. Here we are in Denmark but, then, mainly in southern Italy at a wedding.

Trine Dyrholm was excellent in In a Better World (and also in a fine Norwegian film, well worth seeking out, Troubled Waters). She is very good here as Ida, the mother of the bride, a simple hairdresser with a philandering husband. She is also concerned about her breast cancer. Nervy, she backs her car into the car of a businessman whom we have seen living a serious, workaholic life, with an acerbic manner. It is Philip, Pierce Brosnan, who happens to be the father of the groom.

We also see the engaged couple in Italy, renovating a family house before the guests arrive.

There is a lot of pleasant incident, some humour. But, there is a great deal of serious focus on the characters. The young couple experience some doubts and receive advice and support from their parents – though the philandering husband brings his secretary who has a propensity for blurting out comments and asking blunt questions at the worst times. The working out of what they should do proves to be interesting.

But, of course, it is the growing friendship between Philip and Ida that most concerns us. Brosnan and Dyrholm create believable characters in unusual circumstances. They make connections but not quite in the way we might have expected.

Which makes it a double romantic comedy in a very attractive location.

1. The title of the film? A truism? The Beatles title?
2. The Danish setting, the city of Copenhagen, the business world, the town, the hairdresser salon? The contrast with Italy, the landscapes, the beauty? The musical score? ‘That’s Amore’.
3. A story of middle-age relationships? Marriage and commitment? Infidelity and betrayal? Widowhood? Illness? The different generations? The different generations of audiences and their response?
4. Ida’s story, her age, the years of marriage, relationship with her husband, her hairdressing, her illness, recovery? Discovery of her husband and his relationship? The prospect of the wedding, her preoccupation, going to the Airport, bumping into Phillip, the reaction of each, her dislike of Philip? The flight?
5. Phillip’s story, the businessman, widower, his relationship with his son, the prospect of the wedding, a serious man, his anger at the accident? Clash with Ida?
6. Patrick, as Phillip’s son, living with Astrid, the house, setting it up, renovations? His relationship with Astrid, love or not? Doubts? Alessandro and his work? The celebration, the party, kissing Allessandro?
7. Astrid, her age, love for her mother, with Patrick, love for him, the setting up of the house, niggling doubts?
8. Ida and Phillip arriving in Italy, the continued clashes, the meetings, the celebrations, their talk? Mellowing, at the water, Ida and her swimming, discussions and change?
9. Benedikta, strong character, asserted, sexual drive, the focus on Philip? The rebuff? The comic presence?
10. Lief, the years of his marriage, betraying Ida with Tilde, their arrival in Italy, the tensions, Tilde and her youth, brash, stupid, focus and glamour, sex? Her eye on Kenneth?
11. Allessandro, his work, the attraction to Patrick, the kiss?
12. The build-up to the wedding, the party, air of celebration? The cancelling of the wedding?
13. The return to Copenhagen, Lief and his asking forgiveness, Ida unwilling?
14. Ida, the limp, her biopsy, the letter, unwilling to read it, going to Italy, reunited with Phillip, the good news, love? A future?