Review of Troubled Water

10/10
Fabulous about reconciliation, worth every praise
8 April 2009
"deUsynlige" (English title "Troubled water") is Norwegian director Erik Poppe's third film in his Oslo-trilogy where the first is "Schpaaa" from 1998 and the second is the fabulous "Hawaii, Oslo" from 2004.

All films are of a great caliber, and Poppe is proving to be a director who knows his ways. You are marked after watching one of his films, and this is so far the best, actually more or less flawless.

Of course, there are things which could have been done differently, but every scene in his films are carefully woven into the story. Here's no coincidences, though his films are full of them. Life's coincidences. Well, is it coincidental, or is it faith? Is it bound to happen? This seems to be something Poppe is also very concerned with, together with his equally fabulous manuscript writer Harald Rosenløw-Eeg.

"deUsynlige" (something like "The invisibles" directly translated into English) obviously uses "deus" in the meaning of God, and this is also a film with religious themes and setting, this being about guilt, truth and forgiveness. But more reconciliation than forgiveness. Some things can't be forgiven...

Is it possible for a couple to forgive a kidnapper being the reason for their sons death or disappearance. The boys never found. How evil is the main character? This gives the film suspense in more than one way.

You want this film to be interesting, and it is. You want it to be exciting? Well, it is! You want a film to be heartfelt. It is! As well as highly believable, scary, thought provoking, romantic, disturbing... Well, it's all of that, just like "Hawaii, Oslo".

It is impossible not to like this film. What I find most interesting is Poppes experimenting through the film. The story is told both ways, which is very unusual on the big screen, and still this works great. It's actually adding to the excitement.

The actors do their job flawlessly, with Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen making a fabulous character. The rest is just as good, even the smallest kids. Many actors were cast for this, and Poppe himself says that the amount of great actors in Norway is the reason that there comes out so any great film from Norway now. - It makes it possible to make even more difficult movies in the future, Erik Poppe has said.

Well, being impressed with Poppe once more, I promise you a great two hours sitting down to watch this. This is why I love watching movies. What a treat!
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