I couldn't have asked for a better account of what happened on that horrible day, and durings its aftermath.
One of my main worries going in was that the Norwegian-English dialect would distract me throughout the entire movie, but I quickly forgot about this a couple of minutes in due to the strong performances, particularly from Anders Danielsen Lie who portrayed mass murderer Breivik.
As a Norwegian I have to say the first 40 minutes were completely horrifying to watch. Seeing the preperation for the attacks and it actually happening (again) pulled me right back to that day, and although it was gruesome, I have to say that Paul Greengrass handled it extraordinary well. The entire segment had a constant «thumping» sound in the background which made the movie feel exciting, almost making me forget this actually happened. I guess this can be both negative and positive, but I don't think anyone could have done it better.
However, the attacks are only a small part of the movie, as most of the film tackles the aftermath. I think an international audience will find it interesting to see how our society reacted and how selfish Breivik was with his actions. One scene I remember in particular is when Breivik is being interrogated by the police, and complains about a cut on his finger that he had supposedly gotten from a skull fragment after shooting one of his victims. It was very disturbing, and it shocks me how un-sympathetic of a man he was and still is.
Greengrass did a good job of following Viljar's (Jonas Strand Gravli) story and making him the symbol of every surviving victim and affected family. I'm glad he put most of the focus on those affected, and I think this is particularly important for us Norwegians who for the most part refer to the attack and the trial when talking about 22 July.
If you're expecting another classic «along for the ride» action-thriller by Greengrass, this is not it. In comparison to his other «based on a true story» movies like «United 93» and «Captain Phillips», the heartpounding, shaky-cam action style we have all come to love ends after 40 minutes, and in the case of this particular story I believe this was the right choice.
All in all, a gruesome and detailed account of the attack, the aftermath and those involved... but a very good one.
8/10
One of my main worries going in was that the Norwegian-English dialect would distract me throughout the entire movie, but I quickly forgot about this a couple of minutes in due to the strong performances, particularly from Anders Danielsen Lie who portrayed mass murderer Breivik.
As a Norwegian I have to say the first 40 minutes were completely horrifying to watch. Seeing the preperation for the attacks and it actually happening (again) pulled me right back to that day, and although it was gruesome, I have to say that Paul Greengrass handled it extraordinary well. The entire segment had a constant «thumping» sound in the background which made the movie feel exciting, almost making me forget this actually happened. I guess this can be both negative and positive, but I don't think anyone could have done it better.
However, the attacks are only a small part of the movie, as most of the film tackles the aftermath. I think an international audience will find it interesting to see how our society reacted and how selfish Breivik was with his actions. One scene I remember in particular is when Breivik is being interrogated by the police, and complains about a cut on his finger that he had supposedly gotten from a skull fragment after shooting one of his victims. It was very disturbing, and it shocks me how un-sympathetic of a man he was and still is.
Greengrass did a good job of following Viljar's (Jonas Strand Gravli) story and making him the symbol of every surviving victim and affected family. I'm glad he put most of the focus on those affected, and I think this is particularly important for us Norwegians who for the most part refer to the attack and the trial when talking about 22 July.
If you're expecting another classic «along for the ride» action-thriller by Greengrass, this is not it. In comparison to his other «based on a true story» movies like «United 93» and «Captain Phillips», the heartpounding, shaky-cam action style we have all come to love ends after 40 minutes, and in the case of this particular story I believe this was the right choice.
All in all, a gruesome and detailed account of the attack, the aftermath and those involved... but a very good one.
8/10