Mama Mia wishes it could be this good! A wonderful film from Danish director Susan Bier who doesn’t need sappy music and perfect endings (though she has stolen Pierce Brosnan from that other film.)This is wonderful tale of a middle-aged woman named Ida (Trine Dyrholm) who finds out she has cancer. Ida opts out of reconstruction knowing her husband Leif loves her as she is despite one faulty breast. But in her fight-for-survival Ida discovers Leif has/had needs too. And apparently they come in the form of a woman half his age.
But that’s okay. They’re off to their daughter Astrid’s wedding. Astrid (Molly Blixt Egeland) is marrying Patrick (Sebastian Jessen) who has long felt neglected by his angry corporate father, Phillip (Pierce Brosnan) and the death of his mother, Phillip’s wife.
But these life gives-you-lemons scenarios are nothing that the lemon grooves and lemonade of Italy can’t change. And at every sunrise/sunset surprises are tucked inside.
This is not My Big Fat Wedding light-fare. Unlike all these other musical or silly guess-who’s-coming-to-dinner films, there’s a message much deeper about love and loss and hope and the ticking of valuable time. People can opt to go through life by going through the motions, thus living a lie, or they can choose to live the truth.
A sentimental and special little film about a series of events that lead all the characters to destiny (and not the one they intended.) Life is full of surprises. The lesson learned is there are no guarantees so take risks now to find a happier tomorrow. ♔ ♕ ♚ ♛