Festen / The Celebration is a great case of the Dogme 95 ethos being used to good purpose (as long as we ignore the single violation related to the window). The hyperrealism, handheld aesthetic and grounded setting is used to accentuate the family dynamic and heighten the emotional reactions between all involved. It's a little overstuffed at the beginning as we get introduced to so many trashy characters but we eventually come to learn the hard way why they're so flawed. The acting is the best part of the film as the family members are totally believable in their anger and despair. Yet despite some strong performances and a shocking revelation executed well, there's just not much that happens in the film and these twists aren't enough to really prop it up for the entire runtime.
Review of The Celebration
