Fridae

Here is a small lovely film that arthouse lovers should seek out. It's the sort of film that revolves purely around human emotions, where not much happens except plenty of raw dialogue, where a father � struggling to explain the meaning of "fluorescent" to his son � tells the boy that he is "fluorescent" because he is "lit from within".

Directed by the talented Danish director Susanne Bier, whose previous Danish-language films Open Hearts and After the Wedding won wide acclaim, Things We Lost in the Fire is her English-language debut that stars Halle Berry as a widow struggling to get over her husband's death. Benicio Del Toro plays the dead man's best friend who is struggling with drug addiction.

Although the two can't stand each other when the man was still alive, the two gradually find themselves becoming friends if only to help each other get over the loss. Through their awkward friendship, each slowly learns to breathe again...

As mentioned, not much happens in this film. But it does address the very interesting issue of bereavement � a theme that indie dramas like In the Bedroom and Reservation Road have also successful tackled. It also boasts some of the finest performances that Halle and Benicio have delivered since winning their Oscars for Monster's Ball and Traffic respectively.

Though uneven in tone and structure, Things We Lost in the Fire is still enjoyable for lovers of drama.