In A Better World

In A Better World is directed by Susanne Bier and stars Mikael Persbrandt, who plays the role of Anton, and Trine Dyrholm who portrays the character of Marianne. Anton, a doctor, struggles to balance his life by commuting to his home in Denmark and then returning to an African refugee camp, where he works.

However, his life gets churned up while trying to strike this balance, and he begins to face problems in his relationship with his wife. The couple ends up separating and stands on the brink of divorce. As this happens, the life of Anton gets full of turmoil, as he is torn between the emotions of guilt, revenge, and forgiveness. Anton and Trine have two sons. Elias (Markus Rygaar) is their elder 10-year old son, who is bullied by his fellow students at school. He is helped by Christian (William Jøhnk Nielsen), who defends him against the evil crime of bullying.

Elias and Christian become good friends after the incident and start sharing a special bond. In a shocking twist of events, Christian’s mother dies of cancer, leaving him devastated because of the tragedy. Meanwhile, everything runs smoothly in their friendship, until Christian engages Elias in a hazardous action of taking revenge against an enemy, which puts their life at risk. The harsh situation tests their friendship among many other things. It becomes necessary for their parents to step into the lives of their children and teach them the ways of life.

Susanne Bier’s award winning movie - In a Better World, entails the life of Anton, a kind-hearted Swedish doctor. Anton works at an African refugee camp and is on the threshold of a painful separation from his wife Marianne. Mikael Persbrandt and Trine Dyrholm execute their roles with a perfect amount of dullness and fragility that is associated with mid-life crises. While Anton and Marriane’s marriage is under stress, their son Elias is saved from bullying by another kid, Christian.

William Jøhnk Nielsen steals the show as the vengeful kid, Christian, displaying a near psychotic behavior and obsession with violence. Director Susanne Bier captures Anton’s dilemma with the African genocides and mass-murders, forming the sardonic background to his marital woes. Christian’s brooding expressions, coupled with his unbridled rage towards his father clashes with Anton’s conscience and his confrontation with his son is something to watch out for.