DVD Review: Things We Lost In the Fire

By June L. Mar 5, 2008, 14:10 GMT

Story centers on a woman whose husband suddenly dies; she invites her husband`s troubled best friend to live with her family, and as the friend turns his life around, he helps the grief-stricken family confront their loss. ...more

Directed by Susanne Bier (After the Wedding) and starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro, Things We Lost In the Fire, is a fine film.  Dealing with the topics of the aftermath of sudden violent death, and the evils of drug addiction, this film examines human responses to adversity without ever becoming maudlin or melodramatic.

Halle Berry plays Audrey Burke a woman recently widowed with two young children to raise.  This is an amazing performance by Ms. Berry, her best yet, as a bereaved wife who has to hold her emotions in check and be strong for her family. 

In flashbacks we are shown the depth and strength of her marriage to Brian (David Duchovny) a very real and believable union, not without problems, but still a very good thing for both partners.  The sudden loss of Brian throws Audrey into shock, but she cannot succumb to grief. 

Her husband’s best friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro) is a lawyer turned heroin addict.  As Brian never gave up on Jerry, something in Audrey makes her continue the process.  She invites Jerry to stay in the garage apartment, a room recently restored after a fire, partly to help him, but more importantly to understand her own feelings. 

She is angry and distressed that a good man such as Brian had to die and Jerry who seems to have so little to offer the world is still alive.  Benicio Del Toro as Jerry gives a chilling and wonderful performance as the drug addict who is trying to change. 

Susanne Bier is Scandinavian, and there is a lot of her Nordic sensibility in the direction of this film.  This is what keeps the emotion strong, but under control, allowing gestures or expressions to be as vital in the explication as words.  At times dialog seems sparse, but that does not reduce the effectiveness of the scene. 

All the characters within the story are equally important, regardless of lines or screen time.  Omar Benson Miller gives a strong and beautiful performance as Audrey’s brother Neal.  Although his scenes are few, his goodness of spirit and love for his sister and her family are obviously motivating forces in all their lives. 

Sense of family is the overall message of the film, and each character contributes his or her bit to creating the idea that we are all family and should care for each other thusly.

Things We Lost In The Fire is presented on a single disc, in widescreen format.  Playing time for the feature is 118 minutes, and it is available in English, French and Spanish and also with English, French or Spanish subtitles. 

The Special Features enhance the production.  There are seven deleted scenes included, and there is a featurette “A Discussion About Things We Lost In The Fire.”  The featurette adds to the viewer’s knowledge of the film, by interviews with the actors and director. 

It is interesting to hear what each actor used to create the character, or to enhance the performance.  Susanne Bier discusses her motivation for the direction of the film, as well as her directing style.  The film is rated R for drug content and language.

In spite of tough subject matter, this is a film of rare beauty of spirit.  It is a pleasure to see such fine acting and directing in a story that will give viewers much to think about and much to praise.

Things We Lost in the Fire is now available at Amazon. It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a June 16th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.