Goksung (2016) - Review in english

Goksung (original title) or The Wailing (English title), the new film from South Korean director and writer Hong-jin Na (known for Chugyeogja - Chaser - 2008 and Hwanghae - The Yellow Sea - 2010), is already considered one of the great works in the horror genre, addressing a macabre part of eastern culture on legends, curses, evil spirits and mysticism, being one of the highlights at the Cannes Film Festival.

Coincidentally after the arrival of a stranger, a strange disease begins to spread in the small village of Goksung, triggering a series of brutal murders. What at first appears to be only crimes of passion just takes darker contours, since all deaths occur in mysterious circumstances. In charge of the investigation, the police officer Jong-Goo (played by Do Won Kwak, known for Ajeossi - The Man From Nowhere - 2010) searches for clues and explanations to the tragic events. When his daughter, Hyo-jin (played by Kim Hwan-hee), begins to feel the strange symptoms of the disease, he has to fight against time to solve the mysterious case and save her life.

With a rhythmic narrative, The Wailing presents a folk story associated with Eastern mysticism and also the occultism, marked by elements of mystery, horror and supernatural, as guardians, demons and shamans, and the unfolding of the plot gradually gets more intense and disquieting contours. The technical quality is one aspect that stands out in the movie. The picture and the soundtrack provide an immersive and engaging combination as ambiance, expressed by constant rain, the mud, the precariousness of the small village, the striking features of a small town, as well as makeup and massacre scenarios, consolidate the mystical and eerie atmosphere of the film, expanding the mystery and holding the viewer's attention.

The script plays well with expectations, building some characters in a dubious way, without specifying their actual intentions. A relatively simple story is presented in a complex and intriguing way, where apparently scenes with no great purpose show us much, requiring attention to small details, whether occult symbols or religious references (Biblical). Crows and goat's head are used throughout the narrative, symbolizing death and evil omen and referring to the profane and witchcraft.

The film manages to build an atmosphere of terror without abusing the typical genre tricks. The moments of humor are used to softer the approach of a subject that in itself is already quite tense. Here it is worth mentioning the great performance of Do Won Kwak in the caricatured role of the lazy, fumbling and fearful police officer, though well intentioned.

With a competent job of the cast, efficient direction creating an atmosphere that blends mystery, horror and comedy as well as providing much reflection with an end open to different interpretations and also for its originality, The Wailing is one of the most significant movies within the genre in recent years.

Original title: Goksung
English title: The Wailing
Director: Hong-jin Na
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5215952/

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Kollektivet (2016) - Review in english

Kollektivet (original title) or The Commune (English title), the new movie from director Thomas Vinterberg (known for Festen - The Celebration - 1998, Submarine - 2010 and Jagten - The Hunt - 2013), one of the founders of the film movement Dogme 95, which seeks to create a more realistic and less commercial cinema, deals with a family in the 70s, formed by the father Erik (played by Ulrich Thomsen, known for Festen - The Celebration - 1998 and Adams æbler - Adam's Apples - 2005), the mother Anna (represented by Trine Dyrholm, known for Festen - The Celebration - 1998 and DeUsynlige - Troubled Water - 2008) and the daughter Freja (played by Martha Hansen). Erik inherits the house of his family after the death of his father, but considering it very large and with high maintenance costs he is willing to sell it. However, his wife convinces him to turn the house into a kind of community, inviting some friends and even interviewing strangers to share the house and to help pay the bills. Living in a group, like a big family, they have dinners, parties and regular meetings so that important matters are made democratically. But the utopia around this experiment begins to be questioned when a love affair shakes the small community.

Kollektivet hits to portray very well the time when the story takes place: the 70s in Copenhagen. The production design, costumes and characters's characterization, expressed by the clothes, hair and costumes, confer credibility and immerse the viewer in the plot. But the film errs for not develop enough the characters that are not part of the central plot. The director should have further explored the group in conflict scenes and the writer could have better elaborated the difficulties of social life that are inherent to a life in a community. As it was written the supporting actors add little to the story and the parallel plot of Freja's journey into adulthood opposed to the reflection of everything that happens within the community deserved to be better developed.

The big highlight is the actress Trine Dyrholm, who received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival this year for her excellent performance. The most dramatic scenes and the strongest blows that we took in the feature film are starred by her character, Anna, a television news presenter. The actress representation convinces not only because her ability to express emotions in times of joy or in the darkest moments, but by the naturalness of interpretation, which makes the viewer forget that it's just a role play.

Convivial challenges can be overcome? To what extent a community project should override the individual interests? What is more important: the individual or the collective? Life in community is possible? These are some of the questions that The Commune tries to address, but ends up doing superficially. Director Thomas Vinterberg had talent to produce a film with a final result much better than he produced.

Original title: Kollektivet
English title: The Commune
Director: Thomas Vintenberg
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3082854/

Trailer (with some spoilers):

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Wie Brüder im Wind (2015) - Review in english

Cinema has good films that tell a story between man and animal. Among them we can mention: Born Free (1966), Brother of the Wind (1973), The Black Stallion (1979), L'ours - The Bear (1988), Cheetah (1989), Fly Away Home (1996), Duma (2005), Eight Below (2006), Le Renard et L'enfant - The Fox & The Child (2007), Life of Pi (2012) and The Jungle Book (2016). In Wie Brüder im Wind (original title) or Brothers of the Wind (English title), the story revolves around a child and a bird of prey, in 1960, in some place of the Austrian alps. In nature the eagle creates two chicks, and the strongest always ends up throwing the weakest out of the nest. Thus, after being pushed by the older chick out of the nest and fall to the forest floor, which would be a death sentence for the youngest chick, he is rescued by Lukas (acted by Manuel Camacho), which takes care of the wild animal in secret. With relationship problems with his father Keller (played by Tobias Moretti, known for Das Finstere Tal - The Dark Valley - 2014), the boy finds love and companionship in the bird, named Abel. But when the time comes to release the eagle back to nature will Abel be able to reintegrate himself to the wildlife and will Lukas find his own release for a new life?

The story is narrated by Jean Reno (known for Léon - The Professional - 1994), who plays the character Danzer, a forester who lives on site. The film is directed by Gerardo Olivares and Otmar Penker in a semi-documentary style. Its major highlights are photography, soundtrack and sound mixing. The images of the wildlife are breathtaking, especially the scenes made ​​with the eagle. The camera angles, including the mini camera installed on the eagle, enable the vision of all the landscape of the Austrian Alps, which is to behold. In that Brothers of the Wind does not lack anything when compared to the best documentaries about nature. The sound mixing gives realism to the narrated story, immersing the viewer in the animal life.

The weak point of the film that ends up compromising the movie's final result is the script. It focuses too much on the melodrama of the boy 's relationship with his father. While the scenes of wildlife are natural, family sequences are all artificial and forced. The writers trio (Otmar Penker, Joanne Reay and Gerald Salmina) errs in trying to turn the eagle struggle to survive into something bigger, making a link in Lukas and Abel's story. The directors and writers should have focused only on the nature and eagle majesty, who is the great protagonist of the narrated story.

Original title: Wie Brüder im Wind

English title: Brothers of the Wind

Directors: Gerardo Olivares and Otmar Penker

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3532278

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The One I Love (2014) - Review in english

Some movies can show that cinema is not just made of large productions and even with low budget and no major special effects you can produce a great film. This is the case of The One I Love, first feature-film of the director Charlie McDowell. With an original script and filmed almost in one set (a country house), the viewer is captivated by the story and the main characters in such a way that he will wait anxiously for the outcome of the plot. The One I Love reminds us of another great film in the same style that also did not have the proper recognition: Coherence (2013).

The story involves a couple, Ethan (played by Mark Duplass, known for Safety Not Guaranteed - 2012) and Sophie (played by Elisabeth Moss, known for the character Peggy Olson in the TV series Mad Men - 2007-2015), which make therapy to try to overcome the serious marital crisis in which they live. After an unsuccessful attempt to rediscover love through an important and happy time in the past, on the verge of separation, the therapist (played by Ted Danson, known for Saving Private Ryan - 1998) suggests as the last device in attempt to save the marriage of the couple that they spend a weekend in his cottage. What begins as a romantic and fun retreat soon becomes surreal when an unexpected discovery requires both to rethink about themselves, their relationships and their future.

This is the typical movie that the less you know about the plot the better will be your cinematographic experience. Despite being classified as a romance, drama and science fiction, the movie can not be classified in a predominant genre. There are also passages of suspense and mystery in the history. And here we must highlight the work of the director and Justin Lader's great script, who tackles an issue that is not new (marital crisis) in a creative and engaging way. There is a deep approach to the difficulties of living together with someone as well as the expectations that we created with respect to each other and also to the new. There was a concern to keep the two views of the plot (the vision of man and woman) in balance, and the story does not force the viewer to tilt to one side. The soundtrack is subtle and sometimes goes unnoticed, but it sets the tone needed for the various stages of the work.

A curiosity revealed by Duplass (which besides actor is also a director, writer and producer) in this interview, was that although the script has 50 pages and be carefully detailed, both in movement and in which the characters are doing, it doesn't have written dialogue. Thus, each piece of dialogue in the film was improvised. The actors were being as natural as they could with their motivations and the trajectory of the scene and using surprises so that the other does not accommodate, making more spontaneous actions than if they were rehearsing. It is noteworthy that the duo Duplass and Moss delivered fine performances both individually and as a couple. The viewer is involved in the story and have the impression that is watching a actual story with real characters and conflicts.

The title of the film, The One I Love, seems innocent and generic, but gains new connotations when contrasted with the story itself and the movie poster. With a few twists, a clever and intriguing plot and a deliberately open-ending, the movie will leave you thinking about its nuances. This is a film that provokes reflection and certainly will rouse in the viewer the will to go back in the history, whether to contemplates it in detail or to try to get some answers to the questions that were unanswered.   

Original title: The One I Love
Director: Charlie McDowell
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2756032/

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The Shallows (2016) - Review in english

Since the Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws (1975) the movie industry did not have a thriller film involving shark able to make the viewer feel scared and also cheer to the protagonist so intensely. Directed by the Spanish Jaume Collet-Serra (known for Orphan - 2009 and Unknown - 2011) the feature-film The Shallows tells the story of Nancy (played by Blake Lively, known for The Age of Adaline - 2015), who goes surfing alone on a paradisiac and deserted beach in Mexico, where her mother visited decades ago. After spending much of the day surfing she is attacked by a great white shark, getting trapped 180 meters from the beach. Needing to race against time and fight for her life, the battle for survival requires from Nancy all her skill, cleverness and fortitude.

There are several reports of shark attack around the world, which adds even more drama to the story told. A recent case that had worldwide impact occurred on September 19, 2015, during the final heat of the World Surfing Circuit in Jeffreys Bays in South Africa. The three-time world champion Mick Fanning was surprised by a shark attack and escaped with a severed leash on his surfboard. Fortunately the episode had a happy ending and Fanning was unhurt, as it can be seen in the images recorded on the day.

Esthetically The Shallows is impeccable. The site chosen for filming is paradisiac and the direction of photography of Flavio Martínez Labiano (also worked in Unknown - 2011) is very beautiful. The scenes both inside and outside of the water and the aerial and water camera shots have created an amazing setting, bringing the viewer into the plot. The use of non-professional cameras and surf scenes manage to convey truthfulness to the narrative. The direction of Jaume is attractive, engaging and agile, exploiting well the open shots to contrast the man's relationship with nature. Here we point out a visual device that was very well used in the movie: the option to put text messages, Instagram photos and video conversations on the screen.

The performance of Blake Lively in the lead role is efficient, managing to hold a difficult role in a film centered on the protagonist. The soundtrack has no exaggerations, conveying the necessary tension that the story needs. A negative point that weighted down the final result of the movie was the overuse of clichés. The script and direction have sinned by conventional solutions and could have innovated more. Still, The Shallows holds the attention and interest of the viewer, who will be tense and attentive to every detail of the story, waiting for the outcome of the dynamic between the prey and the predator.

Original title: The Shallows
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4052882/

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Turist (2014) - Review in english

Winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, nominated for best foreign language film at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards and nominated (making the early round of shortlist, but was not a nominee) as best foreign language film at 2015 Oscar Awards, the Swedish movie Turist (original title) or Force Majeure (in English) accompanies the emotional drama involving a Swedish family in holiday in the French Alps after an incident with an avalanche.

The story revolves around the couple Tomas (played by Johannes Kuhnke, known for Arven - The Inheritance - 2003) and Ebba (starring Lisa Loven Kongsli, acted in Engelen - The Angel - 2009) and their two sons, Harry and Vera (played by brothers Vicent Wettergren and Clara Wettergren, respectively), which spend the holidays skiing in the French Alps. Everything went well until a controlled avalanche surprised the tourists and the family, who was having lunch in the open air restaurant in the ski station. At the beginning the snow sliding down the mountain does not seem dangerous, but the phenomenon intensifies, provoking a momentary terror among people. The different reactions of Tomas and Ebba facing the imminent danger end up bringing much more devastating consequences than the effect of the avalanche itself. While he rushes out to save his own life, she stays in the place to protect the children.

The writer-director Ruben Östlund (known for De Ofrivilliga - Involuntary - 2008 and Play - 2011) portrays in a dense and deeply way the moral and psychological drama in which the characters are exposed in the plot, addressing sexuality, gender roles in the core family, marital conflicts and social conventions. The man is seen in society as strong and protective, while the woman is sentimental and dependent. There are a number of mechanisms to support these conventions, being problematized and investigated in the course of the film.

Fredrik Wenzel is responsible for picture quality that brings an alpine setting and a series of stunning images. Fixed plans, especially the avalanche scene, and open shots were made with mastery. In contrast to the cold, white and melancholy landscape, human interactions overflow life, being abundant in emotions in discussion scenes. The influence of this hostile environment in the lives of the characters is striking. Day after day we see the different moods of the family members and their emotional consequences, which are accentuated by the soundtrack of intense violin solos. Here it is worth mentioning the excellent performance of the main actors, Lisa and Johannes.

Force Majeure also promotes a reflection on the human behavior in modern society. There is a image confrontation of who we are in the privacy and what we appear to be in social life. Facebook and Instagram are filled with pictures of moments of happiness and success in a frantic search to show that we live a life of perfection. But life is full of imperfections and what defines and distinguishes us is how we deal with them.

The appearance is richer than reality? To which extent people show who they really are to the world, including closer people and intimates? The image we have of ourselves is the same seen from the look of the other? In extreme and high stress situations would we act according to our ethical and moral values ​​or the animal instinct would prevail? These are some of the questions that Force Majeure leaves to reflection.

Original title: Turist

English title: Force Majeure
Director: Ruben Östlund
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2121382/

Trailer with some spoilers:

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Bridgend (2015) - Review in english

Between 2007 and 2012 were committed 79 suicides by hanging in Bridgend County, a coal mining province in Wales, and mostly among teenagers. Based on this tragic true story, the film Bridgend, directed by Danish rookie Jeppe Rønde who until then only made documentaries, is a fictionalized version of the case. The story revolves around the protagonist Sara (played by Hannah Murray, known for the character Gilly, of Game of Thrones), a young woman who moves to a small town in Bridgend County due to her father's job relocation, the police officer Dave (played by Steven Waddington; he starred in the movie Imitation Game - 2014). Being a new girl in town Sara does not have any friends and her favorite hobby is riding her horse, Snowy. But gradually she gets drawn into a group of mysterious teenagers who appear to be connected to the wave of suicides, which causes concern of her father, who investigates the deaths.

To make this movie the director Rønde spent six years researching, interviewing and accompanying the teenagers who lived in the area and wrote the script based on their stories. There are theories about the deaths, but local authorities still do not know what motivated the suicides in which the film was based. Another detail is that the motion picture was filmed in the very Bridgend County.

The film portrays the reckless life of teenagers and uses the clichés that are already well known in adolescence representations: parties ruled by alcohol, cigarette, riots and dips in the lake, in a quest for freedom, to experience feelings without worrying about the consequences of your own acts. The intergenerational conflict is another point addressed and is showed by the gap between parents and children, who can not interact or communicate with each other.

With a gloomy and gray, grim and melancholic atmosphere, Magnus Nordenhof Jonck's photography (known for his work in Kapringen - A Hijacking - 2012 and Krigen - A War - 2015) creates a claustrophobic tone that makes you feel as if something terrible could happen at any time. Part of this constant tension effect is also built by Mondkopf's soundtrack, which uses the electronic sound to keep the suffocating tone in the movie. Bridgend quite remember the movie The Witch (2015) for the setting yearned in each frame.

Despite having an efficient cast the film could have developed the characters more. Another weak point was the way the script was written. The story does not follow a specific line and ends up being confused and not promoting the necessary understanding. The narrative focuses only on the lives of adolescents, leaving aside important parts as the parents viewpoint, the investigative work of the police and how the suicides affect the local community. Rønde was bold in its proposal to portray a difficult subject in an abstract way and ended up delivering a smaller film than it could be. Especially for the setting and the visual quality that are top-notch. Perhaps part of the answers that were left unclear can be found in the documentary Bridgend (2013).

Original title: Bridgend
Director: Jeppe Rønde
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4180576/


Trailer with some spoilers:

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Eddie the Eagle (2016) - Review in english

Some stories awaken what is best in the human being, inspiring us to overcome our limits and teaching us to believe in our dreams and never give up. This is the case of the film Eddie the Eagle, based on the true story of the English Michael Edwards, better known as Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who since childhood had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games. Without being from a rich family, gangling, having to deal with knee problems for much of his childhood and having to wear glasses because he was nearsighted, his chances of participating in the Olympics was minimal. After trying unsuccessfully various types of sports throughout his childhood and adolescence, Eddie decides to venture into downhill, selecting the 1988 Winter Olympics as his goal. After a disastrous presentation to some sponsors, he is cut from the British Olympic ski team. Heartbroken and about to give up, Eddie bet in ski jump as his last chance to reach his dream.

Cinema is full of motivational movies involving sport. We can cite:

• Mixed martial arts: Warrior (2011);
• Athletics: Chariots of Fire (1981), Unbroken (2014) and McFarland, USA (2015);
• Auto racing: the documentary Senna (2010);
• Basketball: Hoosiers (1986);
• Baseball: The Natural (1984), Moneyball (2011) and 42 (2013);
• Bobsled: Cool Runnings (1993);
• Boxing: Rocky (1976), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Cinderella Man (2005) and The Fighter (2010);
• Cycling: Breaking Away (1979);
• Horse race: Seabiscuit (2003);
• American football: Rudy (1993), Remember the Titans (2000) and The Blind Side (2009);
• Artistic gymnastics: Peaceful Warrior (2010);
• Ice hockey: Miracle (2004);
• Marathon: Atletu - The Athlete (2009);
• Motorcycling: The World's Fastest Indian (2005);
• Swimming: Swimming Upstream (2003);
• Rugby: Invictus (2009);
• Diving: Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997);
• Taekwondo: Best of the Best (1989).

Eddie the Eagle's script is all written around the protagonist, played in his childhood and adolescence by brothers Tom and Jack Costello, respectively, and in his adulthood by the charismatic Taron Egerton (known for Kingsman: The Secret Service - 2014). Egerton acting may seem forced, but when confronted with the real Eddie Edwards we realized that he perfectly embodied all twitches that the character demanded. Eddie is the typical anti-hero: with an appearance that nothing resembles the figure of the classic hero, with his nerd, weirdo and gawky way, having worn glasses for life and a device in the legs as a child, which obligatory relate to the movie Forrest Gump (1994), he is the typical underdog. And this is perhaps the biggest hit of the film: deal with our prejudices and with the standards imposed by society.

When taking contact with Eddie, any viewer would believe he could do something relevant? But throughout the film, as we are introduced to a young man who despite the physical problems that could be used as an excuse, is determined and sure of himself, naive and dreamy, our perceptions and interpretations of the protagonist are put to the test. That different and strange guy could indeed make a difference.

The cast was well chosen. Eddie's mother, Janette, played by Jo Hartley (known for Dead Man's Shoes - 2004) is responsible for supporting and encouraging her child's dreams, while the father, Terry, interpreted by Keith Allen (known for Trainspotting - 1996) is the counterpoint, reminding Eddie of the difficulties and wanting his son to follow his footsteps by working in construction. Bronson Peary, the problematic sportsman, which is already a cliché in this type of film, is played by Hugh Jackman (always remembered for his portrayal of Logan character in the X-Men franchise). The commentator of the BBC, interpreted by Jim Broadbent (known for Iris - 2001), provides good funny moments.

The director who is also an actor, Dexter Fletcher (starred in Kick-Ass - 2010), used humor to soften the story. Despite the great photography, the film uses too much clichés and shows some unnecessary scenes. Fletcher could have further explored the action scenes (the ski jumping) and he didn't put Eddie's postscript (what Eddie did next) at the end of the movie. The script made ​​some adjustments in the real story for the sake of a good narrative, and the modifications are portrayed (with spoilers) here and in this review. The soundtrack fits well in the film, conveying the necessary emotion at different times, whether action, drama or suspense. The music called Jump, by Van Halen, was used as an analogy to the practiced sport: ski jump.

Eddie the Eagle is a film about overcoming oneself with a cheerful and fun tone, rescuing social values ​​long lost in society. At a time when having is more important than being, in which win, whether in sports, business or any other situation imposed by life, is more important than compete, we need to relearn that what is important is not the destination, but the journey.

Original title: Eddie the Eagle
Director: Dexter Fletcher
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1083452/

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Kampen om Tungtvannet (2015) - Review in english

Recieving great reviews and being a success among the public, setting the new record for drama series when it premiered on national TV network in Norway on January 4, 2015, winning the live audience of about 1.2 million viewers on Sunday night (about 24% of the Norwegian population was watching the season premiere), the Norwegian TV mini-series Kampen om Tungtvannet (original title) or The Heavy Water War: Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb (in English) depicts a true story of World War II. Narrated in three angles the Norwegian production of 6 episodes follows the trajectory of the Nazi nuclear program, the fight of the Allies to stop them and the management of Norsk Hydro, the company that owns the heavy water plant, a key substance for the German plans.

The TV mini-series begins slowly, developing the characters and their dilemmas and also exploring the reasons Allies and Nazis fight for the heavy water. Why it was so important and where it would be possible to get it? Over the first episodes this whole plot is made clear.

The Nazi research program is shown through the eyes of Werner Heisenberg (played by Christoph Bach, known for Shirley: Visions of Reality - 2013), German scientist who in 1933 won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution in quantum mechanics. Heisenberg devoted his life to science, abdicating social and family life. In 1939 he began working for the German government, conducting the research for the development of nuclear energy. He sees the atomic bomb as a nuisance, but a necessary means for the development of science. The war would be at the service of science.

The Norwegian scientist and professor Leif Tronstad (played by Espen Kloumann Høiner, known for Reprise - 2006) was one of those responsible for the construction of the chemical factory Norsk Hydro, in the Vemork plant on the outskirts of the town of Rjukan in Norway. By joining the Allies in England, he was essential to prevent the success of the Nazi plans, since he was a member of the Norwegian Resistance and still stayed in touch with them. He also was aware of the building plan and the site procedures. To Tronstad the lives of employees and other inhabitants of the area should be preserved in the conflict.

The director of Norsk Hydro, Bjørn Henriksen (played by Dennis Storhøi, known for Zwei Leben - Two Lives - 2012), runs the facility in Rjukan, unique in the world to produce heavy water. As it was a byproduct of fertilizer production, its production was limited and on a small scale. While the Norwegians remained neutral in World War II, France made an agreement with the company to acquire the entire stock of heavy water. But with the invasion of Norway by the Germans, on the morning of April 9, 1940, Norsk Hydro started to meet the Nazi interests in obtaining the precious liquid. To Henriksen the war would be something temporary, so it would be important to keep the jobs and company's business intact.

To give more excitement and make the story more dramatic some fictional characters were drafted, but that did not come to interfere significantly in the actual events that occurred. Among them we can mention Bjørn Henriksen, which was created from three real directors of Norsk Hydro, and his wife, Ellen Henriksen (played by Maibritt Saerens, known for Sykt Lykkelig - Happy Happy - 2010), who also was not part of the original plot, but was responsible for addressing some dilemmas of the couple apart from the moral issues of the war.

Another fictional character is Julie Smith (played by Anna Friel, known for the TV series Pushing Daisies - 2007-2009), who gives life to a British official responsible for the British Special Operations. Here we have to highlight a historical mistake, because in real life the role was played by Scottish Colonel John Skinner Wilson. At that time there were no women occupying the position of command in the army. Despite the good performance of Friel, it would be more appropriate to stick to historical and real facts (put a man) instead of opting for the politically correct of the current times.

The film's director Per-Olav Sørensen depicts in a chronological and historical way the events surrounding the dispute by heavy water. It is noted along the mini-series all the characterization work of an era: uniforms, clothes, cars, equipments and weapons. One bright spot was the maintenance of the three native languages ​​of the countries involved in the plot: Norwegian, German and English. Sørensen also knew how to choose the cast, who gave convincing performances.

The photography is very beautiful and the soundtrack fits well in the plot. However, the director of the mini-series does not do enough to explore more some action scenes and he also could have created more suspense. The rigorous living conditions to which the members of the Norwegian resistance were submitted in missions due to the harsh climate of Norway, as hunger and cold, as well as other difficulties faced when fighting the enemy would have been better dramatized.

This story was also dramatized in a Norwegian docudrama called Kampen om Tungtvannet (Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water - 1948), in a British production The Heroes of the Telemark (1965), with the participation of Kirk Douglas (citing some of his films: Ace in the Hole - 1951, Paths of Glory - 1957, The Vikings - 1958 and Spartacus - 1960) and Richard Harris (known for A Man Called Horse - 1970) and a Canadian TV mini-series (A Man Called Intrepid - 1979). The Swedish power metal band, Sabaton, also honored this episode through the music called Saboteurs.

Original title: Kampen om Tungtvannet

English title: The Heavy Water War: Stopping Hitler's Atomic Bomb

Director: Per-Olav Sørensen

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3280150/

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