^{Credit: Fjord (Neon)}

At Cartoon Contender, we mainly discuss animation and awards, but also everything in between. Nick’s Flick-Reel is that in-between, reviewing live-action films and more!

Remember that Simpsons episode where Child Protective Services sent Bart, Lisa, and Maggie to a foster home? Imagine that, but in this case, it was the Flanders who had their children taken away. You’d get Fjord… well, kind of. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve play Mihai and Lisbet Gheorghiu, two devout evangelical Christians with five children, including a newborn. The family moves from Romania to Lisbet’s native Norway. The scenery is soothing, but there’s a literal and figurative avalanche on the horizon. The Gheorghius may not be as pleasant as they initially seem either.

Teachers notice that the children have bruises. When Child Protective Services questions them, the children nonchalantly mention that their parents have slapped them. Mihai doesn’t deny this, although he claims no abuse took place. The next thing Lisbet knows, Child Services is at their home, telling her the kids will be taken to foster families while multiple investigations are launched. One investigation will determine whether the children can be returned to their parents. Even if they are, another investigation will determine whether criminal charges should be pursued. So, the family wouldn’t be back under one roof for long.

On paper, it feels like we should be siding with the authorities. Watching Lisbet learn that her children are being taken away, though, you feel her frustration, fear, and heartbreak, as if she’s been thrust into a parallel universe. This is a woman who clearly loves her children, whether or not abuse has taken place. That said, are Mihai and Lisbet abusive parents? Fjord never spells this out, nor does it provide any easy answers. Herein lies the strength of writer/director Cristian Mungiu’s film. It challenges us to decide where our sympathies should lie, despite not seeing everything that goes on behind closed doors.

We know that Mihai and Lisbet have spanked their children, but does that constitute separating a family and igniting a legal battle that comes to national attention? Perhaps the bigger question isn’t if Mihai and Lisbet have struck their children. It’s why they would be compelled to do so. The eldest daughter Elia (Vanessa Ceban) develops a friendship with another girl named Noora (Henrikke Lund-Olsen). Noora evidently would like to be more than friends. Elia’s feelings are more ambiguous, but the idea of his daughter being a lesbian visibly bothers Mihai. To some, Mihai is repressing his daughter’s sexuality. To Mihai, his religious beliefs are being persecuted.

Elia is the Gheorghius’ only child who’s given much focus, which is where Fjord starts to feel underdeveloped. In general, though, the film’s strength is the distance it keeps between the characters and the viewer. For all the time we spend with Mihai and Lisbet, we’re still left wondering if they’re good parents. It’s not a black-and-white situation, but to the law, it is. In trying to protect the Gheorghiu children, do they only cause further trauma? Fjord won’t be for everyone, raising more questions than answers. However, the way it presents these questions is thought-provoking, which will surely ignite conversations walking out of the theater.

Awards Potential:

Best International Feature Film (Oscars)

Best Original Screenplay (Oscars)

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!