Fjord LFF review: Sebastian Stan’s thought-provoking drama
Given that Sebastian Stan is a famous Hollywood actor with an American accent, many people are probably unaware that he is Romanian and left his home country at a young age. He gets to return to his roots with Fjord, marking his first time acting and speaking in his native Romanian in a feature.
In Cristian Mungiu‘s Palme d’Or-winning film, Stan plays Romanian engineer Mihai Gheorghiu, who has five children with his Norwegian wife Lisbet (Renate Reinsve). After raising them in Romania, they move to a remote community in Norway to be closer to Lisbet’s family. They are devout evangelical Christians, and it is a culture shock moving to a progressive community where nobody is particularly religious. When bruises are found on their oldest daughter Elia’s (Vanessa Ceban) body, the school reports them to child welfare services, and the Gheorghius become subject to an investigation.
Fjord, which is loosely inspired by a true story, is a thought-provoking, intelligent film that really makes you think about your own family and what outsiders would think about your upbringing if they were a fly on the wall. You never really know what goes on behind closed doors. It is an interesting examination of what’s considered normal in different families and/or cultures and presents a tricky moral dilemma – is corporal punishment still an acceptable form of discipline or is it child abuse? It’s fascinating to see the arguments play out on both sides.
Stan has been taking on unusual roles in recent years – A Different Man and The Apprentice are two examples – but Fjord is his most unexpected yet. It’s refreshing to see him playing an everyman father with a bald head, full facial hair and glasses instead of a hunky superhero. His performance is so different too. Mihai is a stern, disciplined and strict man who refuses to let his children have mobile phones, watch YouTube or listen to modern music. The ever-excellent Reinsve is more nurturing, even though she supports Mihai’s rules and parenting methods.
I was hooked on this drama for the most part, even though it is a slow-burner and slightly too long. However, without spoiling anything, I felt let down by the ending and the lack of sufficient closure.
With a smart script, excellent performances and a stunning, snow-covered location, Fjord is an interesting drama that tackles a thorny subject and gives us food for thought.
In cinemas from Friday 13th November