DeUsynlige

I was pleasantly surprised to see a Norwegian film, DeUsynlige, being shown at a local cinema in Porto; like many countries in the world, the majority of films shown in Portugal are hollywood productions, which I generally avoid. Of course, exceptions to the rule exist, but I tend to find hollywood films to be bland, repetitive, insipid and a bit empty and so don't really watch them. So I decided to see this film after a look at the trailer and a quick read through a few reviews. The trailer itself was perfect-just enough information to make me decide to see the film and to make me want to find out more about it without revealing too many plot details. I won't give you a synopsis of the film, rather I will just describe my reaction to it. It is perfect! It achieves the very difficult task of creating real tension, intensity and depth without being melodramatic, vulgar or pretentious. Trine Dyrholm, a very well known Danish actress who I recongnised from "Festen" gives a chilling performance; her portrayal of pain and loss is almost too realistic, accented and perfected by beautiful camera work, the audience almost feels intrusive by observing her emotions at such close range. The incredible scenes in which the two protagonists meet and interact are beautiful and grotesque; guilt, pain, regret and unimaginable suffering are among the most complex and unpleasant of human emotions and the ability of the cast and crew of this film to make such an extraordinary film exploring these emotions is to be applauded. I love the scope of the subjects explored also; religion, justice, class and the complex and strained interactions between all three in modern-day Scandinavia...

Because of the film's subject matter, several reviewers have compared it to a French film "Il y a longtemps que je t'aime" which I also saw and thoroughly enjoyed a few years ago. Both have profound and disturbing intensity, portray the complexities of human interaction and explore the dehumanisation of criminals and ex-convicts. Both also display an admirable and striking dedication to detail and subtlety. They make important and meaningful comments on human beings and our often intricate and strenuous relationships with one other.