Force Majeure (2014)

A family vacationing in the French Alps is confronted with a devastating avalanche.

Director:

Ruben Östlund

Writer:

Ruben Östlund

Stars:

Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 31 wins & 39 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johannes Kuhnke	...	Tomas (as Johannes Bah Kuhnke)
Lisa Loven Kongsli	...	Ebba
Clara Wettergren	...	Vera
Vincent Wettergren	...	Harry
Kristofer Hivju	...	Mats
Fanni Metelius	...	Fanny
Karin Myrenberg	...	Charlotte (as Karin Myrenberg Faber)
Brady Corbet	...	Amerikanen
Johannes Moustos	...	Städaren
Jorge Lattof	...	Tomba
Adrian Heinisch	...	Busschauffören
Michael Breitenberger	...	Rökande mannen
Karl Pincon	...	Turistfotografen (as Karl Pinçon)
Julie Roumogoux	...	Snowboardparet (as Julie Roumegoux)
Peter Gaunt	...	Snowboardparet

Storyline

A Swedish family travels to the French Alps to enjoy a few days of skiing. The sun is shining and the slopes are spectacular but, during a lunch at a mountainside restaurant, an avalanche turns everything upside down. With diners fleeing in all directions, mother Ebba calls for her husband Tomas as she tries to protect their children. Tomas, meanwhile, is running for his life... The anticipated disaster failed to occur, and yet the family's world has been shaken to its core, a question mark hanging over their father in particular. Tomas and Ebba's marriage now hangs in the balance as Tomas struggles desperately to reclaim his role as family patriarch.

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Plot Keywords:

marital strife | passive aggressive behavior | manipulative wife | hysterical wife | malicious wife | 

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Taglines:

The consequences in the fear and flight situation.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was shot in the Alps station Les Arcs. At the end, the family exits a tunnel named "access to Charvet shops" which belongs to this station (where cars are forbidden hence the bus episode).

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Goofs

At about 1.50 minutes in as the bus is going down the switch backs, as they approach the final switchback the bus gets stuck on the retaining wall is solid. When the passengers get off and watch the bus back up the wall is crenelated concrete.

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Quotes

Fanni: There's nothing in your head that you haven't said!

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Connections

References The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

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Soundtracks

Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, 'L'estate' (Summer)
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Arranged by Pavel Fenyuk
Performed by Alexandr Hrustevich

User Reviews

Quite moving story of the difficulty of achieving a quality relationship.

It's a sad reflection on the dumbing down of America that reviewers here just don't get it. Good actors can play any role. Just because some actors are known for their comedic parts doesn't mean they can't do dramatic roles too. Reviewers whinging here they didn't get a comedy should send alarm signals about America's education system. Dumb. There is nothing much to complain about with this film. It's a realistic portrayal of the potential disintegration of a marriage when circumstances present a mirror of their true characters. I'd recommend this for its realism and heart. Julia and Will perform brilliantly and you will be making judgements until the ironic (and yes, for the comedy lovers, wickedly hilarious) end. I really enjoyed it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [France]

Country:

Sweden France Norway Denmark Italy

Language:

Swedish Norwegian English French Italian

Release Date:

30 December 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Force Majeure

Filming Locations:

Les Arcs, Savoie, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,309, 26 October 2014

Gross USA:

$1,359,497

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,094,339

Company Credits

Production Co:

Plattform Produktion, Film i Väst, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1