When crafting a review of a film, one of the last things I ever have on my mind is how something might get pulled or quoted on a poster. It's happened enough times over the years now that the novelty has worn off, and at this point, the one kick that remains is knowing that my endorsement somehow meant enough to the filmmakers or was stated in such a way that it was something they wanted to use to help reach potential viewers.
One of the movies I really, really liked at this year's Cannes Film Festival was one I knew nothing about when I walked in. Didn't know the filmmaker, didn't know the subject matter, and really had no idea what to expect. I ended up thinking “Force Majeure” was one of the best films of the festival, and it's really stuck with me since then.
The film deals with what happens to a family on a ski vacation when, during what looks like an out-of-control avalanche, the father gets up and runs, leaving his family behind. Everyone's fine, but that moment and that decision end up creating a potentially unfixable rift in the family, and the film plays out in a very smart, very unusual way.
You'll get your own chance to see the film soon, and right now, it's playing here at Toronto. When we were asked if we wanted to debut the film's American poster, I was thrilled to do so. The moment on the poster is that moment that everything hinges on in the film, and it seems to me like about as smart a choice for an image as they could have made.
In a year where I've seen a number of strong films about family and how it is defined, “Force Majeure” remains one of the very best of the bunch, and I'll be excited to see how people respond to this one when it hits general release.
“Force Majeure” will be in theaters October 24, 2014.