My Cinema: Things We Lost in the Fire

Things We Lost in the Fire, by Susanne Bier, USA 2007

From Dogme 95 to Hollywood
Danish director Susanne Bier (remember 2006’s AFTER THE WEDDING, for which she received an Oscar nomination?) films her first “American” movie, for Sam Mendes (remember AMERICAN BEAUTY), producer behind this project. She hasn’t however lost much of her previous style of filming, with the use of handheld camera, cuts and many close-ups, which all contribute to creating that sense of intimacy which she masters so well.
Despite the soapy subject, Bier avoids falling into melodrama and films here a realistic drama, an emotionally rich family story, served by an excellent cast, in particular Benicio del Toro and Halle Berry. As TODD MCCARTHY wrote so well, “Benicio Del Toro’s performance sparks an otherwise morose study of loss, addiction and catharsis”. [3.5/5]