User Reviews

How do you move on from the loss of your child? Do you think it's possible to if they were taken away from you and you never got to say goodbye? The film Troubled Water, directed by Erik Poppe, deals with the issue of child murder and the struggles of a mother to move on when the child's killer is released early from prison. Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen plays Jan Thomas, the young man who was convicted of murdering Agnes's (Trine Dyrholm) young boy, even though he adamantly maintains he is innocent. He is released from prison early on the condition that he interview for an organist position at a neighborhood church in Oslo. During his time in prison Agnes and her husband Jon (Trond Espen Seim) have adopted two young girls and are getting ready to move to Denmark. Quickly after his release and employment at the church, Jan falls for Anna (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) the church pastor and bonds with her young son Jens (Fredrik Grøndahl). However, fate intervenes when Agnes takes her class on a field trip to the church where she recognizes Jan, who has decided to go by his middle name Thomas to avoid recognition from the public eye. This climactic event spirals into the unraveling of Agnes's focus and forward progress as she becomes determined to get Jan to confess to the murder of her boy and keep him away from Jens as she fears his life will end in the same tragic fate as her son's.

The biggest theme found throughout the film is that of faith. It is physically present in the form of the church where Jan finds a job as an organist. His position in the church provides a paradox to Anna's, as she is the church pastor and embodies faith whereas he claims he has no faith. His role becomes one of confession between himself and Anna and he finds he can slowly open up to her. Eventually this confessional role extends to Agnes when Jan finally confesses how her son died. Along with faith and confession is the importance of (self) forgiveness and atonement. I think Poppe purposefully placed Jan within the realm of religion so he could come to terms with his past actions and find some sense of atonement and peace with his life.

Another component of Jan's lack of faith is baptism. Water becomes a second theme in the film and is heavily linked with baptism in multiple scenes. In the pinnacle scene when Agnes recognizes Jan in the church her class is learning about baptism, which Jan has never received. This sets up a final scene again with Jan and Agnes when they are in the same river with Jens where Agnes's son died. Here we witness Jan's confession to Agnes and his "rebirth" and baptism in the water as the two of them work together to save Jens from drowning. Beyond baptism, water is also used in the film as a marker of life and death. Agnes's son dies in the river just as Jan is given new life in the same river.

Another crucial theme in the film is that of the outsider. Jan becomes the first obvious outsider in the film, as he is outcast from society when he is ruled guilty of committing a crime. When he returns to society the film focuses on his struggle to reintegrate back into society as a member and no longer an outcast and the church becomes a symbolic place for him to be welcomed. The second, less obvious outsider in the film is Agnes, as she is still struggling years later to find peace in her life and remain in the present with her family. She constantly finds herself reflecting back on her son's death, which pulls her away from her family into isolation and despair.

A final theme of the film is music, specifically hymnals. Poppe made a purposeful move in the plot to have Jan learn to play the organ while in prison. The organ represents the church so it is appropriate that Jan uses the organ to discover and express his search for atonement. By learning to play in prison, Jan is given a second chance at life. The specific hymnals played in the church are very significant to Jan's quest for atonement. When Jan is asked to demonstrate his organist skills for the visiting children he decides to play "Bridge Over Troubled Water." This song is about forgiveness and it becomes a very symbolic scene in the film, as Jan is not only playing for children, he is also playing for Agnes. The children here symbolize Agnes's lost son whom Jan seeks forgiveness from, as they are there to witness his revival and rebirth as a changed man.

Overall, this was one of the most powerful Norwegian films I have ever seen. Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen and Trine Dyrholm were cast perfectly for their roles and delivered stunning performances. I left the film screening in awe of the beautiful cinematography and flashbacks, in complete amazement of how this compelling storyline was brought to life. The only disappointment I had with the film is the lack of explanation for why Jan kidnapped Agnes's son. However, sometimes the best films leave viewers with more questions than answers and this is definitely true for Troubled Water. I look forward to seeing more Poppe films in the future.

"De Usynlige" is the very sad story of a 4 years old boy, who disappears and gets killed 8 year before this story begins. We follow the murder, Jan Thomas (Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen) on his way back to the real life, after his years in prison, and the film brings us into his version of what was happened. After a while, we get a new perspective, when the little boy's mother (danish Trine Dyrholm)gives us her story with all the suffering and pain. The film is esthetic and brilliant in many ways: First and last because of the realistic acting of the two main actors: Hagen and Dyrholm; in fact, they didn't act, they really were these people! The pictures, the building of the drama, the sound and the mood Erik Poppe has made, couldn't be better for such a serious theme. It made me in a condition of silence, almost without breathing... This film makes reflecting - but not depressive- thoughts, over the worse aspects of life.

'Troubled Water', directed by Erik Poppe, is a movie filled with emotions and honesty. We meet Jan Thomas, who is getting out of jail and trying to adapt to the life outside the bars. Accused for kidnapping and killing a young boy, Jan Thomas is trying to hide his past. It catches up to him when Agnes, the mother of the boy that was killed, shows up in the church where Jan Thomas is working. Jan Thomas plays the organ in the church, and develops a close relationship to the pastor, Anna, and her son. Throughout the first half of the movie we follow Jan Thomas and see his flashbacks from the incident where the boy was killed. However, half way through the movie there is a change and we start fallowing Agnes, who has been an invisible shadow in Jan Thomas' narrative.

By presenting two sides of the same story Poppe makes it hard for the viewer to pick sides. This is easy to relate to; our sympathy shifts after hearing a different side of a story. As a viewer, one gets the feeling of being a judge in a courtroom with two skilled lawyers presenting their clients' stories. This type of a split narrative is original; however, extremely hard to do effectively. Poppe does only a decent job in my opinion; it is not that we get the story twice, but the fact that he builds up to a climax and then breaks it up by changing the main character and start the story from the beginning, which makes the audience lose focus. When the story catches up again and the two stories are combined, a part of the tension that was build up is gone.

The main theme in 'Troubled Water' is forgiveness and relationships. Agnes needs Jan Thomas to tell her what actually happened with her son in order to forgive him, and Jan Thomas is desperately seeking forgiveness in order to move on in his life. The crime committed is very extreme, yet so real, which, combined with great acting, creates the feeling that you are standing in both Jan Thomas's and Agnes' shoes. There are many other relationships portrayed in this movie. The most interesting one is probably between Jan Thomas and the pastor's son, Jens. When they meet, Jens is wearing an almost identical shirt as the boy that was killed. Jan Thomas is scared in the beginning, the boy reminds him of the boy that died, but he learns to love Jens and overcomes his fear.

Poppe has a unique way of using camera angles and music in order to emphasize and strengthen expressions and emotions. In this movie, Jan Thomas uses the organ to express emotions. Poppe is also paralleling the emotions created through the music with close-up on his expressions of frustration and sadness while playing. These types of effects are very useful in this movie especially because of the type of emotions that needs to be portrayed in a movie that involves the murder of a child.

The title, 'Troubled Water', is an interesting pick. Throughout the movie we see scenes that involves water. The young boy is killed in the water, Jan Thomas is beaten up in jail in water, Agnes escapes reality by swimming in the pool at the school she works at, and the holy water in the church, are examples of the use of water that might be a reflection of the title. This symbolizes how the young boy died and should indirectly remind the viewer of the terrible thing that happened. A direct translation from the original title would have been 'The Invisible' which focuses on a totally different aspect of the movie. It is meant to focus on Agnes' invisibility in Jan Thomas' narrative. These are both important details to the movie and by publishing the movie in a different language, Poppe allowed himself to make the audience clearly aware of both.

Although Poppe is moving into dangerous territory by directing a split narrative, he does it well. The creativeness of music, camera angles, and light used in this movie among with the phenomenal acting made this whole narrative extremely real. The fact that the scenes are filmed close to where I live made this movie stick in my thoughts for a long time after watching it. It is definitely not necessary to be from any of the Nordic countries to enjoy this movie. The unthinkable fear of losing a child and the thought of forgiving, or be forgiven for the crime of killing an innocent boy will catch the attention of anyone.

"To err is human, to forgive divine," (Alexander Pope) is a sentiment that deftly sums up DeUsynlige (Troubled Water). The film, directed by Norwegian auteur Erik Poppe, is a humanist meditation on forgiveness, atonement and reformation in light of terrible loss and grief. The film examines these themes by depicting the story of a child's death from both the perspective of the perpetrator (Jan) and the victim's mother (Agnes). Recently released from prison after serving eight years for the murder of Isak, Jan finds work as an organist at a neighborhood church where he struggles to move forward with his life. He finds solace in a relationship with Anna (the pastor) and her son who bears an uncomfortable resemblance to Isak. Just when his life begins to stabilize, Agnes (Isak's mother) sees him and wants Jan to answer for Isak's death. This chance meeting begins a spiral of events that explores and transforms the characters lives. The story may be small in scope but it explores big, ambitious themes with the most prominent being forgiveness.

DeUsynlige is, at its heart, about the struggle of a perpetrator to seek forgiveness and of a victim to forgive. Though he would never admit it, Jan needs forgiveness. His inability to seek it stems from his belief that he did not kill Isak. An example of this is a confrontation between Jan and Agnes's husband in which Jan is unwilling to concede even the slightest bit of responsibility or remorse. Flashbacks throughout the film eventually reveal this conviction as mere cognitive dissonance. Jan's character is haunted by the past and is characterized as erratic and torpid throughout the film as a result. Without owning up to his mistakes, Jan cannot move forward with his life in any meaningful way no matter how hard he tries to atone. Much in the same way, Agnes is stuck and remains a victim as long as she is unable to forgive Jan. She lives her life in fear as indicated by her overprotective behavior towards her own children. Agnes's extreme reaction to Jan's release and her eventual confrontation with Jan wherein both characters find closure is shown to be part of the healing process. In the end, Agnes finally learns the truth about her son as Jan finally admits that he knowingly let the boy drown. Jan can finally ask for forgiveness and Agnes can now, perhaps, offer it. It is a testament to the filmmaker that the resolution is left somewhat ambiguous. Though the importance of forgiveness is heavily stressed, it is not possible without atonement.

Though Anna says to Jan that atonement is more important than forgiveness, it is the combination of forgiveness and atonement that gives Jan and Agnes absolution at the end of the film. From the very beginning, Jan is established as someone who has reformed. He was released early from prison (he only served 2/3s of his term) and immediately got a job at the church. His relationship with Anna and her son gave him stability and the chance to prove that he has changed. Yet, this is not enough. Without forgiveness, Jan is still stuck in the past.

The religious setting of the film allows Poppe to explore the role of religion in modern society. The film takes a positive though somewhat ambivalent view of the church. Human forgiveness is given precedence over divine forgiveness and religion is used in a precursory and symbolic way. The church gives Jan a second chance and, though he does not believe in God, spurs him to seek forgiveness.

DeUsynlige is a very humanist film and treats the issue of criminal reformation in a very positive way. By getting Jan's side first, the audience is made to understand his character as someone who wants to reform/atone and move on with their life after what (as far as the audience knows at this point) was a horrible accident. Thus, when the film shifts to Agnes's viewpoint her actions seem (plausibly) unreasonable and lacking in understanding until the final reveal in which it is exposed that Jan knowingly let Isak die. This final revelation forces the viewer to reconsider what has come before and decide whether or not Jan has reformed or even if he is worthy of a second chance. This could be troublesome for viewers who see the crime of murdering a child as unforgivable. Jan's character is not helped by Pål Hagen's performance which is so underplayed that Jan comes off as shallow and unsympathetic. A final complaint is that the film fails to answer the question of why Jan kidnapped Isak in the first place and furthermore, why he let him die.

DeUsynlige is a technically polished and thematically ambitious film that is let down only by a weak lead performance and muddled motivation. The film's somewhat unique (or at the very least unusual) narrative structure and its heavy thematic concerns make it film worth watching and one that will linger in the mind.

A brilliant yet unsettling film that delves into the aftermath of the tragic murder of a young boy, Troubled Water demonstrates the power of reconciliation and forgiveness, and provides an interesting exploration of the Christian faith. Complex characters and interesting character development bring compassion and emotion to this powerful narrative, while cinematic techniques that present it as mystery-esque produce an altogether compelling storyline.

In the aftermath of Isak's death, the lives of his mother Agnes, and his killer Jan deteriorate around them as they grapple with the gravity of the situation, though in completely different ways. As an ex-con, Jan struggles to form a life outside of prison first by attempting to hide his shameful identity and reinventing himself as "Thomas" the quiet and talented organist. Although we are lead to believe throughout the majority of the film that Jan is innocent, it is revealed at the end that he was indeed a murderer and had withheld this information out of denial, shame and guilt. Likewise, it is clear that Agnes' fixation on the death of her son has begun to take over her life and strain her familial relationships due to her husband Jon's distress and her daughter Selma's dismay and jealousy towards the memory of Isak. Agnes' behavior reaches its climax when she goes so far as to kidnap Jens in an honorable though misdirected rescue attempt, yet almost immediately afterward demonstrates compassion and mercy in her momentous decision to save her son's killer from drowning.

Agnes' ability to forgive Jan and let go of the hatred that she had towards him is incredibly powerful and moving, as is Jan's ability to take responsibility for what he had done. These actions are so striking because they seem inconceivable and unimaginable to most. Much of the explanation behind this capability lies in the religious themes that are presented in the film. Through exchanges between Anna and Jan, Troubled Water gives an intriguing insight into the role of faith in accepting the way of the world. For example, Anna suggests at one point that "good things will come from bad things", and that everything should be left up to God. This becomes a major theme in the film, possibly even justifying the murder of Isak —an interesting concept.

The characters in Troubled Water give enormous depth to the story through their demonstration of complex emotions. This is especially apparent in Jan, who has gone through a huge transformation by the end of the film from a timid self-loathing man who is terrified of getting close to children and is in an incredible amount of denial, to someone who is not only able to form relationships with Anna and Jens, but will fight for and defend those relationships as well. Even Selma, Agnes' young daughter, demonstrates complex emotions— especially for a little girl. It is easy for viewers to sympathize with her struggle to become important and present in her mother's life, as opposed to the replacement child who offers compensation for Isak. Selma's articulation of her jealousy and disappointment shows maturity and wisdom, and gives depth to the film by providing yet another element of the agony associated with Isak's death.

Just as the characters draw the viewer in, cinematic techniques provide an element of mystery keep the viewer engaged. Throughout the film, Troubled Water provides only bits and pieces of the story surrounding Isak's death, cutting in and out of important scenes quickly before we really know what is going on. Recurring themes (the importance of water), relationships (the similarities between Jan's interactions with Isak and Jens) and cinematic techniques (unfocused close-up of Jan's eyes) also help to draw strong parallels between the past and present and help to fill in some of the holes—but only enough to keep the viewer completely engaged and wanting more. Additional cinematic techniques such as shots in which the camera is unfocused on the action, the use of shadows, and slow close-up pans present the story slowly and give an element of mystery to the film.

Overall, I was incredibly impressed with this film. It raises questions that are crucial to understanding human relationships—how does one move on from the death of a child? How does one forgive, and is forgiveness even possible? And what role does faith play in the drive and ability to forgive, can we place blame or does everything truly happen for a reason? Although Troubled Water fully explores these themes, the most compelling part about the film is that they are mostly unanswered, leaving the viewer thinking.

Have you ever done something in your past that you tried to hide? In the film Troubled Water, directed by Erik Poppe, one main character Jan, also known as Thomas, plays a role in a stealing a stroller resulting in the murder of a young boy named Isak. Thomas goes to prison and after release he finds work playing an organ for a church. When a some children from school take a field trip to the church, the teacher (Agnes) just happens to be the mother of Isak. The film follows both the stories Thomas and Agnes. Agnes and her family are struggling to cope with the loss of Isak. Troubled Water is just another movie with a message of forgiveness and moving on with your life after tragedy strikes. The characters either have a skeleton in their closet or have to forgive someone else. Even though the main question of why did Thomas murder the boy is never answered, the film is very easy to understand.

How does a mother deal with the loss of her child by murder? Poppe has Agnes dwelling in the past and use different ways to come to terms with the loss of Isak. During the scene with the field trip, the camera does a close up of Agnes's face when she sees Thomas. Her eyes are huge and she is staring at him. Then the camera moves around and shows the faces of the innocent children. Even though this is very small and little attention is brought to this detail, but Poppe has the camera show Agnes's car in scenes when Thomas is outside. Showing Agnes has not moved on since the death of her son. Agnes even goes so far as to adopt two new children, but they don't replace Isak in her heart. Her children feel that their mother only wanted them as replacement children. This film shows that attempting to replace children does not work and stalking your child's killer prevents you from moving on with your life.

Bridge Over Troubled Water has a powerful theme of forgiveness. Usually before receiving forgiveness, the criminal will give an explanation why he or she committed the crime. The Pastor, Anna, is trusting enough to let her child be around Thomas. Even though Anna is unmarried, she is still a pastor. In the Lutheran Church, pre-marital sex is a sin, but Anna still has sex with Thomas, and we know this was not her first time because of her son, Jens. The church provides a safe sanctuary for forgiveness and gives the Thomas and Anna the ability to move on from their past and start a new life. Ironically just like in baptism when the reciepent's former life is washed away and he or she becomes a member of Christ's family. The song troubled water even goes with forgiveness. The title Troubled Water could refer to the craziness and sin the character's lives and the bridge is overcoming and forgiving each other. Even though this is a Nordic film, the phrase, "It is water under the bridge," applies to the film.

To make certain moments more intense and draw attention to certain moments, Poppe repeats the scenes later on in the film and uses music. For example when Thomas and another teenage boy are stealing Isak and his stroller is shown more than once. Each time the scene is repeated something is added so the viewer has a better understanding of what actually happened. The second time the scene is shown we can see a violin case in the stroller. In the scene when Thomas is playing the organ, the camera circles around him and light is shining on his face. This combination creates powerful emotions. Thomas playing the organ is a way for him to let out some of his emotions and express himself.

Overall Bridge Over Troubled Water is emotionally powerful and moving. Poppe brightly shows once a mother, she will will always be a mother to the child. Even in Agnes's case her child Isak died, but she still has maternal feelings toward her son. The split narrative between Thomas and Agnes gives two points of view, the murder and the parent of the victim. Characters learn how to deal with their past and forgive others for sinning against them. Even the pastor is a single mother and her congregation still respects her even though pre-marital sex is against the will of God in the Christian tradition. Music is a powerful tool and a great way to express emotions. Poppe used elements such as camera angles, music, and repetition to reinforce and draw attention to key events in the film. In conclusion this film was easy to watch, gives a general lesson in forgiveness, and easy to understand.

The female minister was a wonderful actor the main character Thomas was well cast as someone you wouldn't care for but this movie drags. It resembles a sophisticated Lifetime TV channel special.

Two teenage boys for a "prank or thrill" take off with a 4 year old. They think he has been killed when he falls down a river bank...they decide to get rid of the body by disposing of it in the river. The mother of the boy is convinced they killed her son who was never found. The movie opens when one of the teenagers is released from prison. Now in his late 20s he finds a job in a church where forgiveness atonement etc...all workout.

This is basically a Lifetime TV special/yuppie Norwegian movie with all the icons...female priest...adopted Asian children...obligatory love scene between a couple married for many years.

Real life is not like this of course--once the mother found out the truth she would hate Thomas more. In the end he confesses that the boy was alive when he dropped him in the river.

It is so slow moving and so "lets tell a moral tale" laden down with all the conventional middle-class baggage. Ughh...

There are a lot of good Norwegian films...Watch Oslo August 31 instead it is so much better.

I loved this movie. "Troubled Water" is a Norwegian film about a young man who inadvertently kills a child in the course of a stupid theft. He serves his time in prison and returns to society to a job as a church organist, a skill he developed in prison. Since this is his home town, he is eventually recognized by the mother of the child he killed. She flips out.

This is the bare bones of a remarkable and suspenseful story that explores the usual elements of guilt, atonement, redemption and possible forgiveness that would be expected.

But it is more than that. The performances bring these themes down to earth. We sympathize with both Thomas, who is both trying to redeem himself but in denial about his guilt, and the mother, who has gone on with her life and has adopted kids and a loving husband only to be confronted unexpectedly with her son's murderer living in her town.

We see the story from both points of view and come to realize neither the young man or the mother fully understands who the other really is. He is seeking normalcy. She thinks he's still dangerous.

When the one-on-one confrontation finally happens, it is absolutely riveting. Rarely has a movie's climax had me on the edge of my seat this way.

To discriminating American viewers, this movie is worth your time, even though you have to read subtitles. It is such a compelling story, I wouldn't be surprised if someone in Hollywood envisions an American remake.

Are there certain things one just cannot be forgiven for? Is forgiveness necessary to move on in life? Are apologies? These and other questions are explored in Erik Poppe's Troubled Water. Poppe depicts a gripping tale of every parent's worst nightmare-their child gone missing. The story is told from the perspective of both the mother and the accused kidnapper and murderer for an intense, deeply saddening story.

I really loved this film. I enjoyed its "Norwegian-ness". There was definitely a dark Nordic feel to it, but I find Norwegian films to have a little bit more of a Hollywood feel to them. For example, the sex scenes in this film were toned down and not nearly as explicit as those from other Nordic films. It feels more like it is geared to an international audience, fit for Norwegian, American and other tastes. There are also very distinctive Norwegian aspects. Norwegian flags are seen throughout Agnes and Jon's house. The prominent role of water and nature is also very Norwegian. In addition to these, I noticed a similarity to Viking tradition. The way Jan Thomas sends Isak down the river after he is presumed dead is reminiscent of a Viking funeral, where the body is sent out to sea. From my experience, Norwegian directors tend to produce films that are more appealing to American audiences compared to other Nordic directors. Erik Poppe keeps up his track record from Hawaii, Oslo in this film as well with another dramatic, captivating Norwegian film.

I found myself struggling to take sides in the film. I think Poppe intentionally presented the story in a way that was unbiased-so there wasn't a "good guy" and a "bad guy." He is trying to show us the human side of everyone. Often in the criminal system dehumanizes those it convicts. We forget that prisoners are people, too, and that almost everyone has a good side to them. This all fits into the theme of redemption, forgiveness, and starting anew in the film. Jan Thomas is trying to put his past behind him and live a new life. At the same time, Agnes is still grieving over the disappearance and assumed death of her son. She is trying to find closure without a body to bury or the full story of what happened to her beloved Isak. The film includes many flashbacks in which the viewer goes back and sees a scene from the perspective of the other character. The majority of the first half is told from Jan Thomas's point of view, so the audience starts to empathize with the character who would normally be seen as the bad guy right away. As the story unfolds, we begin to see how the incident of Isak's disappearance appeared to Agnes and the rest of the world. When we finally get to see the story from her view, we can understand why she might be desperately looking for answers and closure.

This closure comes nicely as Poppe brings the story full circle. As the friendship between Jan Thomas and the priest, Anna, and her son, Jens, progresses, we begin to see more and more similarities between Jens and Isak. At first Jan Thomas is afraid of Jens because he reminds him so much of Isak. But over time they become friends, and Jan Thomas does his best to give Jens a life Isak should have had. While all this is happening, Agnes realizes that the man who was believed to have kidnapped and killed her son has been released from prison and is befriending a young boy eerily like her son. All the emotion built up and repressed inside of her is set into motion when her oldest daughter, Selma, buries Isak's shoes and gives her what they've been missing the whole time-a grave to visit. To try to relieve her frustration and find some closure in her son's death, she kidnaps Jens in an attempt to save him from the same fate as her son. What she doesn't realize in her desperation is that Jens is not actually in danger. She is not ready to forgive Jan Thomas or believe that he did not kill her son. Jan Thomas quickly realizes what has happened and finds Jens at Agnes and Jon's home. Before he can take Jens back, Agnes kidnaps him as well and brings him to the spot where Isak disappeared. As we see Jens nearly succumb to the same fate as Isak, Agnes realizes what Jan Thomas has been saying all along was true-Isak's death was an accident. In that moment she finally accepts her lot and she and Jan Thomas do what they realize, in hindsight, should have been done for Isak. The message of forgiveness and redemption is seen here in a powerful and emotional scene that had me on the edge of my seat, hoping everything would be okay in the end. The fact that the scene is almost entirely without dialog made it even more powerful. The raw emotion shown by Pål Hagen and Trine Dyrholm is incredible and says it all-to move forward, one must forgive.

Speaking of Hagen and Dyrholm, they and the rest of the actors and actresses did a fantastic job in this film. I think Poppe cast the perfect people for the roles and they played their parts extremely well. They really embodied their characters and captured the feeling of the story. I also really like film techniques used. They really highlighted the idea behind the story. There were several shots where the view was somewhat obscured by a blurry object, often a face. It shows that one must look past what is right in front of them to see clearly what is really happening, as Agnes did when she looked past the label of "murderer" placed on Jan Thomas. Overall, this was a great Norwegian film full of emotion and well put together with intentional casting, filming and story.

Is it always possible to forgive someone, no matter how heinous the crime? Is it always possible to forgive ourselves and put at ease a conscience that wrestles with itself day and night? Jan Thomas Hansen, the protagonist of the film 'Trouble Water', leads us on a journey that meditates on forgiveness and atonement in light of tragedy and heartbreak. The role of love, guilt, music and faith in the human condition and transformation of the individual is explored from both the perspective two characters. Hansen is looking to establish his life outside of prison, where he was recently released for the kidnapping and murder of a small child. Despite his efforts to hide his dark past, Hansen is followed by Agnes, the victim's mother, after she discovers he is now an organist at a church. The new beginning that Hansen seeks is a huge theme throughout the film. He befriends Anna, the priest of the church and her young son Jens. Throughout the first half of the film, we follow Thomas and witness his constant flashbacks to the incident for which he was imprisoned. The second half of the film switches our focus, as we begin following Agnes, who had been an invisible presence in Thomas' narrative. 'Troubled Water', directed by Erik Poppe, presents a gripping narrative that essentially boils down to one concept - forgiveness. Life is painful, our conscience will always haunt us, we will be overcome by doubt, but redemption is possible.

The technique of depicting the same narrative from the perspective of two characters is the driving force behind the film's success. The more the plot unravels, the more difficult it becomes for the viewer to side with one of the characters. In many films, it is all to easy to only consider the perspective of the character the camera follows. By depicting the story from the sides of two characters, Poppe removes this simplicity for the audience. We are given the opportunity to empathize with two extremely different people who have both had their lives torn apart by the child's death. Poppe's characterization of Hansen allows to support his attempt to start a new life and find meaning in his affair with Anna. Yet when the focus shifts, we witness the devastation of Agnes, who has been unable to stop grieving over the loss of her son. The split narrative forms a rich coalescence of tension, pain, grief and hope.

Poppe's use of music throughout the film is incredibly powerful. Thomas uses the organ to express his deepest thoughts and emotions, while utilizing it as a means to search for atonement. The tragic beauty of the music he is producing is reflected in the close-up camera shots of his face while playing. His face reflects his deep vulnerability and sadness. The most poignant moment of the film is when Hansen plays "Bridge Over Troubled Water", a song about forgiveness, for children visiting the church. The moment becomes even more powerful when we realize that Agnes is also a part of Hansen's audience. It reflects his deep longing for forgiveness and for a new beginning in his life.

The recurring motif of water as a symbol for new beginnings is powerful. This is emphasized by the title of the film, 'Trouble Water', which is emphasizes literally throughout the film, as many scenes involve water. The young boy is killed in water, Hansen is attacked in jail using water, Agnes regularly swims to escape her constant grief and baptismal water is frequently mentioned. Just as water is responsible for the death of Agnes' son in the beginning, it is the scene of his rebirth in the conclusion when he saves Jens and confesses his guilt to Agnes. Water becomes a marker of life and death.

'Troubled Water' is a wonderful examination of the complexities of the human condition. It explores the need for forgiveness in a way that I had never witness before. I enjoyed the film thoroughly. The split narrative heightened my enjoyment of the film, although I felt a little let down when the story reset to the beginning just as it reached the climax in the middle of the film. The performances of the lead actors was strong and drove the film forward through the quieter moments. I found myself sympathizing with both characters throughout the film, regularly switching my allegiance as more information was revealed. The music was incredible and it was utilized brilliantly to convey the emotions of Hansen. Ultimately, the film conveys a deeply profound message of hope and renewal.

I would definitely recommend this film. It is full of emotion and the director does a magnificent job of piecing together the different puzzle pieces of the narrative. Poppe proves himself again to be a wonderful director, and the characterization and camera work continually engage the viewer throughout the film. 'Trouble Water' holds many surprises and is most certainly worth viewing.

"Troubled Water" tells an engrossing story that explores some ticklish questions: What's the difference between forgiveness by a supreme being, forgiveness by organized religion, and forgiveness by victims? Does a perpetrator's ability to move on depend on him being completely honest with either himself or the victims? When does fear of a crime beget another crime? How far do the effects of a bad event spread, and for how long? Can one "pay his debt to society" and move on just as though nothing happened, or do some of the consequences of a crime persist over a lifetime? Does what is best to say "legally" differ from what is best to say to the people involved? The film explores these questions but doesn't offer easy answers to them.

Drug addiction is not among the questions this film explores. It's a big part of the underpinning of the story as it motivates the crime, but it isn't the topic of the film. Without question the film judges the effects of drug addiction to be bad. But it simply uses drug addiction as part of its background and doesn't delve into the what or the how.

Psychology and ethics are important; this is not an "action" film nor a "Sfx" film. Although the sensibility is "European", the questions being explored resonate in any "western" culture. (I have some doubts though the film would be compelling in a completely different cultural context.)

The thematic connections with the Simon&Garfunkle song are restrained, even subtle. In fact if it weren't for the title and the publicity, I likely wouldn't have thought of the song.

The principal cinematic device is showing the same scene again but from a different point of view. Secondarily there are lots of short flashbacks which show a character's internal mental state. Per a current style, the film cuts back and forth in time. But this jumping is mostly minor, so that even though there are no obvious visual clues to which time is being shown (sepia tone, very soft focus, etc.), the viewer doesn't have to expend too much effort trying to puzzle out what happened when. The one big exception is the overall structure (which is really rather simple): the first part of the film is the narrative from the point of view of the perpetrator, the second part is a very similar narrative but from the point of view of the principal victim, and in the third part the two narratives crash together.

The cinematography is unremarkably pleasant; there are only a small handful of shots you might want to frame on your wall. The action is sometimes indoors and sometimes outdoors and sometimes in between, and the camera handles them all equally well. The camera is very much in service of telling the story and does not have a life of its own.

The sound is quite good and is seamlessly integrated; there are no problems hearing or understanding something and no problems being distracted by some ambient sound. I did notice though that in the organ scenes, the music I was hearing often didn't exactly match the actions of the fingers I was seeing fly over the keys. It was almost as if some of the music had been selected after the filming was finished. The effect is not bothersome though - in fact I doubt most viewers will even notice it. The English subtitles are good. There was never a problem with legibility, they didn't contain any distracting typos or colloquial spellings, and only a couple times did I have the odd feeling of not immediately grasping who said what.

The setting is clearly "somewhere else", specifically a city in Norway. Travel by bicycle rather than by car is common. Houses are more or less side by side rather than set apart on large pieces of land (as in U.S. suburbia). Semi-permanent living in apartments/condos is common. Kitchen sinks have a dropout in front. Plumbing and wiring are sometimes on the outside rather than the inside of walls. Garages are barely big enough for a car. While dangerous areas of parks are not fenced off, plenty of discreet fences subdivide most of the land into smallish areas.

The time appears to be late spring. People are comfortable in shirtsleeves, they spend lots of time outdoors, and they act like they don't even notice the weather. There's nary a hint that there might sometimes be snow and ice.

Mostly cultural differences between the film and the U.S. are insignificant, nothing more than points of interest to be noted in passing. One cultural difference though is critical to accepting the story: the common practice of parking small children in strollers outside of cafés. It's unremarkable where the film's story occurs; on the other hand assuming U.S. cultural norms about small children being more than a few feet away from their caregiver could make it pretty easy to fundamentally disbelieve the story.

(As with any "foreign" film, if you're allergic to hearing a language other than your own or to reading subtitles or to seeing an unfamiliar place or to temporarily accepting some alternate cultural norms, this film is not for you. Perhaps there'll be an American "remake". If on the other hand you enjoy stories that don't bash you over the head with their morals, this film is an excellent argument for much wider distribution of "non-blockbuster" films in the U.S.)

Troubled Water starts out with Jan, a convicted murderer, being released from prison. He gets a job as the Organ player at a local church. The story continues as he creates a relationship with Anna, the priest. Jan also builds a relationship with her son, Jens. Meanwhile, Agnes, the mother of the boy who Jan killed, tracks him down and struggles with the past. We first see Jan's journey from the time of his release and hiring to when Jens goes missing outside of his preschool under Jan's supervision. Next the film moves to the journey of Agnes. Her life is shown in a series of flashbacks throughout her everyday life with her family and two adopted daughters. She stalks Jan periodically and finds out information about his life after prison and discovers that Jan is with Anna and her little boy Jens. The stories converge at the kidnapping of Jen's from Jan by Agnes. Jan finds her and admits to killing her son Isak while Jen's is in the car. Jens runs down the same riverbank where Jan killed Isak year's prior and wades into the river. Jan saves him from drowning and Agnes helps them both ashore. Jen's is returned to his mother. This is the first time Anna knows that Jen's was a murderer and their story is cut off halfway through a painfully conflicted conversation. Agnes goes home and reunites with her family. This is her turning point. She is able to let go of Isak and move forward fully embracing the present with her husband and two daughters.

The close-up blurry shots hint at a sense of confusion. Jan is tapping into his grey area. He has been lying to himself for so many years that he started to actually believe that he didn't kill Isak. The blurry close-ups are like looking into his mind. When people think about untrue events obsessively and for long enough, they learn to permanently deny the truth, which they are trying to hide. They just bury it until even they believe the lie. This happens to Jan after he kills Isak. He starts denying it the moment he commits the crime. After that he denies responsibility in trial and is left to meditate on it in prison for years. No wonder he believes it himself. Once he is released from prison, however, he is reminded of what really happened and starts having flashbacks due to seeing Jen's and the café etc. These tangible sights and things were not there in prison. The confines allowed him to focus on denying the truth. Out in the real world, he is confronted again and again with reminders and identity crises. Agnes helps Jan realize the truth and Jan helps Agnes move on.

Jon really doesn't talk much throughout the movie. Maybe words cannot express the regret and guilt that he feels about killing Isak. His music, while in prison, seems incredibly simple and dry. Once he is released and gets the opportunity to play in a real church on a magnificent organ, he is able to tap into his talent once again. The music is his way of repenting, and confessing. It is his way of expressing all of those unspeakable emotions. The beauty in his music, however, isn't achieved in a solemn tone or minor key. It is in the build, the crescendo, and/or climax of the music where hope is illustrated that inspires the beauty. During such a hard journey, Jan expresses his hope through his music.

The end of this film is very depressing and not entirely closing. I don't like how things are left between Anna and Jan. Although Anna doesn't seems to look like she will forgive Jan, you never know. Her role as a priest puts her in an interesting position. There are two sides to her: mother and priest. At the end she has to pick because she is so conflicted. Although it appears to viewers that she picks motherly instincts over priestly views, one can never be sure. This just seems like such a bummer for Jan. He finally gains some closure with Agnes after she steals Anna's son Jen's and Jon saves him from her and from drowning. I guess he can't have everything though. It would probably be too much to hope that he, Anna, and Jens live happily ever after as one big happy family. The viewer is left with Anna's signs of pain and conflict and Jon's yearning to be forgiven, but no one actually knows how they end up. This film is filled with beautiful conflict.

"Troubled Water" is a film that encourages viewers to think about truth, forgiveness, and second chances. Jan is seeking to start a new life after he is released from prison for a crime he says he didn't commit, and so he finds a job as an organist in a church. He was imprisoned for the murder of a four-year-old boy, and later on in the film, the viewers meet the family of the boy that died. It isn't until later in the film that the two sides of the story meet and the story becomes clear, so the viewers spend a large part of the film wondering what actually happened to the boy that died. Director Erik Poppe uses flashbacks to show bits and pieces of what happened, but not the full story until later. This method of releasing information little by little can create feelings of suspense, but can also cause confusion and frustration.

Poppe often jumps back and forth between parts of a story. It was very common in another of his films, "Hawaii, Oslo" and is prevalent in this film as well. The film starts with Jan's story about starting his new life and seeking a second chance, and then dives in to Agnes's story about what her life has been like after her son died. Jumping around from story to story causes suspense, which can be good, but it also frustrated me. I couldn't believe that Jan would leave Jens on his own with the bike, after everything Jan had been through, going to prison, and now starting his life over again. It seemed to me that Jan was being extremely reckless in that scene, and it frustrated me even more when Poppe didn't show us what happened until much later. This very well could have been his intention, to create suspense, but I found it almost annoying. It makes it difficult to discern the truth.

"Truth" is also used in a religious sense in the film, when Jan and Anna are discussing religious matters and what they believe in. Jan is trying to find some truth within himself, as far as where he belongs and what his place is in the world. Playing organ for a church seems to have an interesting impact on him, while he begins a new life and is surrounded by Christians. Eventually he joins in and receives Communion. Agnes is also searching for a truth, because she wants to know what really happened and is unwilling to forgive Jan.

Forgiveness is something that Jan and Agnes are both struggling with. Jan discusses forgiveness with Anna. Agnes is unwilling to forgive Jan for what he did, partially because she doesn't know exactly what happened, but also because she believes he killed her son, which would be unforgivable. Agnes's husband, Jon, is more willing to move on with life and let it go, and he is able to provide a voice of reason for Agnes, who goes out of control toward the end of the film. It was hard for me to watch the part where Agnes takes Jens away from Jan. At first it seems like she's taking him just to get back at Jan, because she's in a terrible mood and is being rather irrational. It seems to be a classic case of "two wrongs don't make a right". I thought that Agnes was moving too quickly and out of control, and it seemed like she was going to cause more trouble. Eventually it becomes clear that she was trying to protect Jens, in a way, but I think she did more harm than good.

Jan is given a second chance to do something good with his life when he is released from prison to go play organ at a church. Although we later find out that he did essentially kill the young boy, the people at the church are willing to let him work there, to give him a second chance. In one scene, Agnes is upset with the church for allowing him to work there. The man from the church says that he is not defending Jan's previous actions, but there is no better place for him to receive a second chance than at the church. Agnes still struggles with what Jan did do her son though, and she won't forgive him or give him a second chance.

Erik Poppe encourages viewers to think about their own lives and what is important. He uses truth and forgiveness to encourage thought and reflection. I found "Troubled Water" to be a wonderful catalyst for reflection on my own life, although there were various aspects of the film that I was rather annoyed with, specifically jumping between stories and Agnes's rash action. Nevertheless, Poppe delivered an entertaining and thought-provoking film with a good story to tell.

Movie's best asset is its structural variation: two teens steal a carriage, with a four year-old boy inside who is injured and then killed. The teens go to jail and after eight years one of them is released. We follow him until, an hour into the film the story backs up and focuses on the mother whose child was kidnapped all those years ago by our lead character. Now we stay with her until this storyline merges with the young man who snatched her child. The final act is action-packed (by the standards of this film) and fills in what happened to the kidnapped child all those years ago.

Unfortunately our young male lead is, after his release from prison, not terribly active in his new life, slinking around passively with a one-note, dour look on his face. It's something of a mystery why the beautiful pastor at the church where he works would be drawn to him; in any case, it's a relief to team up with the wronged woman at the midpoint. She's far more active, a little crazy (who wouldn't be after losing a child?) and not easy for her husband or two adopted kids to live with.

Unfortunately, the longueur of the initial fifty minutes of the film is never really overcome. The story's essential sadness, the ponderous characters and the evil banality of the final revelation all make for what is essentially an unrewarded effort. The story's structure is interesting and fun – there are small flashforwards and –backs throughout that work effectively – and the novel storytelling might have worked with a slightly more dynamic plot. But what really sinks things is the performance of Pal Sverre Valheim Hagen as the child killer (for which the director must take the blame). His portrayal, while believable, is enervating and not charismatic enough to carry even half a movie.

Rushing water comes at you with such force that it pushes you away from reality and forces you to try to keep your head above water. As a movie, Troubled Water did exactly that, pushed you away from reality and made you take look closer at what the real truth was. Unlike most Nordic Films this movie embodies a more western style, through a clear plot line and characters stories converging. The story line pulls you in as you see the theme of water, religion and redemption unfold.

In the beginning we are thrown to the past and watch the sad tale of a four year old boy who was kidnapped and drowned by two unknown men. It then fast forwards to the tale about one of the convicted murderers,Thomas, and his life after jail working at a church as an organist. As we see scenes of his life, we hear the story about Jesus and Peter walking on water, those who believe get redemption and those who doubt, sink. As an audience we are convicted with the idea of redemption. We see this played out when the Church not only provides a safe haven for Thomas but the chance for a new life. He finally has a chance to make something of himself, to learn from his mistakes and forget what occurred. Thomas starts a new job one he excels at and he also begins a new romantic relationship. This relationship though is seen to already have problems when it is based on lies. Another problem is this woman, the pastor, has a little boy named Jens, who freakishly resembles the little boy Thomas killed, Isak. As an audience member you try to put this aspect behind you, but the resemblance is to close to forget. You hope that this movie isn't about this and wish for a tale about redemption but that would make for a short movie. Instead Eric Poppe, the director, throws in a twist, we are once more hurdled back to the beginning when Isak is kidnapped but this time we see the story played out from the point of view of Iska's mom.

Instead of redemption you see turmoil, horror and stress. Her point of view makes you question everything that you have learned about Thomas and question if people should be allowed a second chance. As you watch the mom search for her child your palms begin to get clammy and tears well in your eyes, you are overcome with sadness when you realize just how long it has taken her to piece her life back together. The camera angles are what pulls you in, it focuses on the emotional expression of each character versus the background scenery. The theme of hardship is also seen in this segment when we see Isak's little shoes. These shoes are a reminder that whatever she does her sons memory is always with her. As we "walk" in his shoes you see the reality of losing a child especially as she floats in the pool contemplating what her life could have been. In the mom's depiction we also see the flaws of the welfare system; even though it benefits so many people it has flaws and the opportunity to cause so much emotional turmoil. These flaws are seen when Thomas is released from prison, unlike the United States a person has a shorter sentence for murder and has the opportunity to start a new life instead of living life in prison. This chance for redemption reopens the pain for Isak's mom and you are left wondering what type of punishment is really right. As we move on we are swept even further into the rushing water this time literally. The stories lines blend like two creeks merging into a rushing river. You are taken to Jens's daycare where Isak's mom kidnaps him to "save" him from Thomas. We are then taken to where the story began. Thomas and Isak's mom are fighting while Jens's tries to traverse across the river. Soon everyone is in the water trying to save Jens's as he is swept away. This part of the movie is where the camera techniques really make a difference. All we see is the rushing water and we are thrown into the rushing current and the roaring rapids. As an audience member you start to panic and you feel like you are there trying to get out of the water so you don't drown. Many thoughts run through your head, What is going to happen to Jens? Was this what Isak felt like? Should you forgive Thomas? Do murders deserve to get a second chance? If your own child were to be kidnapped do you think that you would ever be able to move on? Before you have time to answer these questions you are on shore, breathing heavy thanking God that you are alive. As each character's story ends the camera flashes to the water and we watch it move as the screen fades to black. It reminds us that no matter how hard life gets, no matter the troubles that come our way life continues, we need to believe in something greater than ourselves and we must always keep floating on. This has been by far one of the best produced Norwegian films I have ever seen. Eric Poppe pulls you in from beginning to end you are trying to get your bearings while you try and stay afloat.