THE INHERITANCE (2003)

Choices in life often make a person choose a direction that will affect their own and the people near and dear to them.  In the light of this Per Fly has directed a powerful drama with a contemporary Shakespearian tone, maybe Hamlet, where the theme brings along several intricate side plots that will influence the audience in several ways.  The film opens with Danish businessman Christoffer (Ulrich Thomsen), who many will recognize from Celebration (1998), arriving to Stockholm where he is supposed to have a meeting, which unfortunately has been cancelled.  Instead of returning home he wanders the streets of the Swedish capital, as if he lived there.  Then he sits down in front of a fountain gazing up at a window where a woman closes a window, as the story flashes back five years. 

In the nearby country of Sweden Christoffer has sought a personal refuge from family and family company.  He has succeed in establishing himself in the competitive Stockholm restaurant market and he is about to diversify himself through his profits in another restaurant.  Everything seems to fall in place for him, as his love life with Maria (Lisa Werlinder )is even growing stronger than his professional life.  Maria's career is also blooming, as she reveals that she has been offered an annual contract with the Royal Theater in Stockholm, including a part as Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  It seems as if nothing in the world could touch their happiness.  When Christoffer's father, Aksel (Ulf Pilgaard) arrives unannounced he is ecstatic to share with him about their happiness and success.  However, this unbreakable bubble of joy slowly begins to fade away when Christoffer finds out that his father has hanged himself shortly after his visit.

The news of his father's death forces him to leave Stockholm at once in order to arrange the funeral and all of the details around the family business.  Here the audience could possibly recognize the parallel to Hamlet.  When Christoffer arrives his mother quickly informs him that he is needed in Denmark, and that he is to take over the family steel company.  It also seems that Aksel hid a large negative balance and the banks are getting restless with his death.  Amidst the family crisis the company also faces dark financial times that will force them to lay off at least hundred employees and find a company to merge with in order to maintain strong on the highly competitive steel market.  Christoffer also has to take into account that Maria has a life in Stockholm with a thriving career and he has taken the position that was understood that his brother-in-law, Ulrik (Lars Brygmann) should have.  Whatever Christoffer's decision is it will hurt someone, as he finds himself in a troubling crossroads of his life where his decision will make strong ripples throughout his life and those near to him.

The fascination with the story rests within Christoffer's choice and how he tries to keep things together while slowly drifting into a personally miserably state.  Fly creates an atmosphere where the protagonist is selfish and unselfish at the same time, as he drifts into a cerebral confusion where he wanders aimlessly in order to please them all.  In the process of helping others, he gets himself lost where his misery induces a more depressive tone to his life, which he begins to accept.  All of this is possible through a brilliant performance from an outstanding and a rather unknown cast on this side of the Atlantic.  In addition, Fly illustrates his eye for details, as the mise-en-scene embraces the characters in a pragmatic, yet artistic manner where everything that needs to be framed within the shot exists.  Cumulatively, those who find themselves engrossed in this poignant drama will discover Christoffer's transformation radiantly tragic, as the human drama reaches its pinnacle. 

 

DIRECTED BY
Per Fly

COUNTRY

USA
REVIEWED
BY KIM ANEHALL – 6/22/2005
GRADE


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