Dogme indeed

Festen (aka. The Celebration), by Thomas Vinterberg is one of the most affecting movies I've seen in quite some time. So powerful, and dramatic, that I'm not sure why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

It is for this reason, that Dogme 95 was an event that was noticed. The "stripping down" of film to it's most basic elements, restricting the language in the process, is a lesson any filmmaker could benefit from. Acting and story. What is more effective than that in capturing the audience's attention and involving them emotionally? Nothing.

The fact that it was shot with digital, normally a huge distraction for me as a viewer, doesn't detract in the least. The forced closeup that the digital camera thrusts upon the filmmaker is an asset to this film.

Without ranting about the state of films in the U.S., I would like to point out that this film would have been almost impossible to make in America. If it were made it wouldn't have received the theatrical release that Festen did. It's sad. This movie puts other like minded domestic dramas to shame and makes me remember why I wanted to be a filmmaker in the first place.