Christoffer's father Aksel has died. The son of the Borch-Muller steel mill has to return to Denmark from Sweden where he had been staying with actress Maria.So the two fly home where Christoffer's mother Anneliese (who assumed the role of the head of the house) insisted that her returning son to take over the ailing family steel company. This is much to the objection to Christoffer's sister Benedikte. But their mother is firm in her decision to appoint Christoffer as the new chief.It was the start of disastrous events to come. With an impending merger with a French steel company, Christoffer has no choice but to fire 200 employees of his father's firm. His own brother-in-law Ulrik was among the ones (given he spread rumours about him), and it's something his own sister Benedikte could not accept. Christoffer even refused to talk about work matters with Maria, thus making their relationship soured even further.The eventual merger went successful, but at what price? The price of inheriting a family business too much of a burden for Christoffer, but he learns about how to deal with everyone he knows along the way, though the journey can be really painful. Family ties are also being looked into as well.

A well-to-do businessman arrives in Stockholm. On the surface he is self assured and in control, yet underneath he is a man experiencing a desperate emotional and spiritual crisis that threatens to take control of his life. Similar in theme to Laurent Cantet's Time Out, Danish director Per Fly's The Inheritance is a penetrating look at the humane cost of serving a soulless corporation out of duty and obligation. The second in a trilogy that deals with Danish life from different social levels, it is an absorbing drama of old wealth and modern capitalism that takes us into the soul of Christoffer (Ulrich Thomsen), the wealthy son of a prominent steel magnate. Reserved, almost reticent, Christoffer hides his feelings like a surprise birthday present, but when they are unwrapped they also unravel.In a flashback to five years ago, we learn that he is a successful restaurateur in Sweden, happily married to Maria (Lisa Werlinder), a Shakespearean actress who is offered a contract for one year at the Royal Dramatic Theater. Christoffer's life is turned upside down, however, when he learns that his father Aksel (Ulf Pilgaard), the owner of the Borch-Muller steel mill, has committed suicide after concealing the company's substantial debt. Like Michael Corleone in The Godfather, he is then forced to choose between his sense of loyalty to his family and his personal freedom when his imperious mother Annelise (Ghita Norby), showing no confidence in his brother-in-law Ulrik (Lars Brygmann), insists that he take over the leadership of the steelworks.Maria, unwilling to give up her career, pleads with him to refuse to lead the company, now almost bankrupt. Christoffer is hesitant and first agrees with his wife, but when he comes face to face with the company's employees, many of whom would have to be laid off, he capitulates and agrees to assume his father's position. It is a turning point in his life. Though it never becomes clear where the truth lies, Christoffer hears from his associate Niels (Peter Steen) that Ulrik is spreading rumors to undermine the company's position with the bank. He is forced to fire Ulrik, precipitating a crisis with his sister Benedikte (Karina Skands) who remains steadfast in his support and refuses to have anything further to do with her brother.When Christoffer has to dismiss 200 workers until the company can get back on its feet, it begins to affect his personality. He refuses to talk about his work with Maria and becomes totally preoccupied with completing a merger with a prominent European steelworks company. Taken aback by the callousness apparently necessary to run the business, Maria is angered by her husband's reluctance to share his problems at work and by his mother, Annelise, who tells Christoffer not to talk about his emotions. If this sounds like an episode from "Dynasty", it would only be partially true. For the most part, the characters and their motivations are too nuanced and complex for it to be considered as soap opera, though unfortunately the film lapses into melodrama near the end.The Inheritance can be viewed on several levels: as a testament to what the modern day corporation has become, a machine that inevitably gobbles up one's humanity; as the story of a selfless individual, willing to sacrifice his own happiness for his family's business; or as the sad tale of a man who is more comfortable being in a dependent relationship with his mother than in fully assuming the adult responsibilities of marriage and emotional independence. Regardless of your interpretation, The Inheritance succeeds as a compelling character study of a man who, in the process of making hard choices in the business world, loses the things in his life that are the most precious, including his self respect.

Sounded like an interesting premise and when I noticed that "Inheritance" received an "8" from over 400 votes, thought it would be worthwhile.I thought wrong. Sometimes I just don't understand why people enjoy mediocre films. Am I a snob or are people really that starved for entertainment that they like anything that isn't pure garbage? Well, I digress but that is because IMDb requires ten lines of text to submit a review and I just came on to edit a few words of my original review. OK..that should be enough padding to get re-submitted. Now, where were we????Ladies and germs,the truth is this film played more like a soap opera than anything else. It wasn't terrible, just not terribly interesting. The "natural lighting" utilized here turned out to be extremely annoying in the interior shots and the script was meandering. Difficult to recommend. 5/10

I saw this film at the 2003 London Film Festival and was impressed by the way it treated its audience, as adults. So many films are blatantly manipulative, pushing all the right buttons to extract all the appropriate responses. And it seems we are generally quite happy to collude in the process. Not so with this film. We are allowed to find our own way in, so that everyone's response to it will be singular and specific.The performances are unshowy and honest - not so easy when one of the protaganists is a celebrated actress. The clash between desire and duty, a well-worn theme, is given depth and clarity through a truthful, unsentimental and no-frills piece of film making. I'm looking forward to seeing it again.