Force Majeure

Idyll has untapped potential for a major disaster, but everything has its time. This is how one can describe the main idea of Ruben Östlund's ironic thriller "Force Majeure," where an ideal Swedish family goes on a perfect vacation. A ski resort avalanche separates the blissful characters from total disaster, revealing the father's cowardice as he flees from danger, forgetting about his loved ones. Östlund's sarcasm is aimed at critiquing masculinity as he dissects gender role discrepancies in the modern Western world over two hours.

For skillfully throwing a stone into the traditional family garden, the film received the Jury Prize in the "Un Certain Regard" program at Cannes.