Azurose

I had high expectations, but they were not met. K-Town tries to be a comedy, but it's not funny, just like it wants to be an action crime film, but unfortunately it doesn't meet that either. The characters have illogical behaviors and are very naive. In fact, the whole fictional world doesn't make much sense and I'm not a fan. So this is a below average film that occasionally makes the corners twitch, but that's about it. The acting is very poor - the best was Tim Ahern, who ironically is the only foreign actor in the film. But the Norwegian audience, based on the comments after the screening, obviously liked the film. [TNIFFH 2023]

From the beginning of the film, I thought that debutant Laurens Pérol had a talent for telling stories about topical issues such as activism and ambition. But the opposite is true. The protagonist's 78-minute-long merry-go-round of stupid decisions took her exactly where I suspected she would from the 10th minute of the film. The entire film is basically her five-day hitchhiking trip to Oslo, in which the same thing is repeated, which means - no drama, no character development and no sympathy for the protagonist. I give one star to aspiring actress Kornelia Melsæter and the director for having the courage to tackle the combination of two important themes. [TNIFFH 2023]

A simple film with a simple premise depicts Victor, a man scarred by his mother's overprotective attitude. Stylized characters and bizarre situations are abundant in the film, so the fun, or at least the attention-grabbing, is taken care of. The film relies on certainties like work environment, love and family, making it an average film, but one that can also be very funny. There's no glory to be had, but the film is just right for an evening with a wine. [TNIFFH 2023]

I have to admit that I wasn't very interested in the beginning of the film. After the story got going, the film drew me into its action and I had a great time. An ordinary coming-of-age film it is not, rather a bloody and unusual look into a phase of life called adolescence. I didn't sympathize with the protagonists, but I still rooted for them and waited to see what else would happen to them. The film probably won't be for everyone - there's a lot of blood - but the mix of the two genres works well and may appeal to different audiences than the film originally intended.

My first impressions of the film were very mixed. Interesting story, interesting characters, very beautiful style, but something was missing. After revealing important insights to everything that happens to the two main characters, my experience of the film was strong. The fact that we don't know these facts from the beginning of the film is tremendously cool, because the film allows you to wake up your thoughts and experience Tina's story through her eyes - in not knowing. I give tremendous praise to the film's conclusion - or rather, the metaphorical last third of the film - for its engaging take on an ordinary story.

No promo for the film intrigued me, which made the experience even more intense. Matthew López's debut is an absolutely brilliant adaptation of the book of the same name, which I haven't read, but I have no doubt it is just as excellent as the film. I'm glad to see that gay romance is no longer portrayed as just a bitter story, but with a sense of humor, love, and moral values. I'm convinced that when I need a pause after a long day, I'll watch this film because it has everything to lift my spirits, excite me and awaken my emotions.

10 minutes into the film and the main character Asja is a woman I admire. The speed-dating she participates in, however, takes on new dimensions for her when the partner assigned to her starts talking about her past, which Asja is unknowingly a part of. The film mixes comedy and drama perfectly, which gives the film momentum and the viewer finds themselves on a 100-minute emotional roller coaster. Handling war trauma is an uneasy discipline that has a high chance of falling into stereotypical narratives, but The Happiest Man in the World is the exact opposite and proof that depicting a war theme doesn't actually need images from war. If you get a chance to see the film, go see it. It's a cinema experience you can not miss. [LFŠ 2023]

For a film to have a chance to work with the viewer, the viewer must identify with and root for the protagonists. But I didn't find that to be the case with this film. The film has beautiful visuals, sound and excellent acting, but it stumbles on the characters and their portrayals. The Gibbons sisters didn't strike me as likable, so I didn't really have any desire to find out how their whole story would turn out. I'm rooting for the director, though, because you can tell she's done a lot of work on the film and has real talent - but she showed both by crafting a script that has a bunch of imperfections... [LFŠ 2023]

I had high expectations, which were fulfilled, but in a different way than I thought. Victim is a sensitive insight into social problems and family relationships, conveyed to us through a Ukrainian single mother and her son who come into conflict with another minority, the Gypsies. There is usually only one truth, but here there are several truths, and yet each truth has a moral lesson. Michal Blaško is a directorial talent who has created a film whose every minute I devoured with wonder. [LFŠ 2023]

Many films with transgender themes are set in a modern setting, which is why Valentina appealed to me so much, because this wasn't the case with this film. The interesting look into a simple Brazilian village with conservative characters allows you to identify with the main character and support her in every way. A sensitively made drama that is engaging and entertaining, while showing contemporary issues in a sober way and offering an opportunity to reflect on what is wrong and right in today's world. [LFŠ 2023]