Susanne Bier is in a weird situation. Having already won the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, the veteran director is still waiting for her film to debut in the United States. Her time is almost up. And for audiences, that is a great thing.
At the heart of this film are relationships, the act of revenge and the power of forgiveness. Together that coalesce to form an enriching story that will try the friendship of two schoolboys, threaten the marriage of one couple and possibly end the life of another. The complexity of human emotion is unnerving, and that has never been as true as what is seen in Bier's In a Better World.
Sadly, the film isn't all great. In fact, to a particular degree, it has some pretty hefty faults. The acting isn't anything tremendous, especially when it comes to the young boys, and the ignorance shown by the parents is mind-boggling. And when the climax hits, we have all seen it coming for quite some time.
But that isn't to say that the film doesn't hold its own, it does. In fact, in many respects, the film is a great watch and highly recommendable. However, for the clout that comes with winning an Oscar, I was just expecting something a little bit better. So I guess I was more disappointed than anything else. In a Better World is good, I've just seen other films that were better.
