Reviews

I want to be honest with all of you before you delve into this review. Joachim Trier has been one of my favourite directors since a while, so I might be a bit biased, but please don't skip it as I strongly wish to put into words why this movie is worthy of all its accolades.

There's few directors out there who manages to capture the modern Scandinavian melancholy as effortlessly and brilliantly as Joachim Trier does. When this flic was about to come out, I won't lie telling y'all that I was more than excited. Due to this, I had also amassed big expectations, which is not a good idea as you often set yourself up to be disappointed. However, I can assure you that Trier and his just as brilliant collaborators (Eskil Vogt, Ola Fløttum, Anders Danielsen Lie to name a few) have pulled it off once again with just another deeply touching film, which is sure to leave your thoughts wandering a long time after the ending titles have run their course.

The movie is centered around Julie, a woman presumably in her early thirties, who like most people around such an age, is trying to come to terms with what she really wants from life. When this question is talked about in general terms, people often tend to navigate towards professions, but this movie depicts why this is a question of so much more. In the kind of an equation in which you are trying to find your place in universe, what kind of profession you choose to pursue is just a small fraction of the so many layers of life.

We observe Julie (amazing performance by Renate Reinsve, well deserved of her Cannes award) handling some of life's most complex, yet natural, emotions while she herself is experiencing the above-mentioned journey. Love, emptiness, joy, soul-searching, agony, pain, happiness, melancholy and many more - all to a vibrant and aesthetically pleasing backdrop of modern day Oslo. This movie is guaranteed to make you laugh as many times it will make you shed tears, and therein lies the beauty of this film: a coming of ager, a romantic comedy and an existential melodrama all in one.

To sum it all up, film as an art format is at its best when it successfully manages to transfer the layers of feelings it portrays: when a human being is able to transcend into a physical object such as a cinema or TV screen, becoming a quiet observer in a place where time and space stands still. If you're longing for such an experience, look no further than "The Worst Person In The World". It won't let you down.

Putting miscarriage of justice on screen is no easy task. Bureaucracy and law is usually not as entertaining as shooting gangsters, wars or superheroes. However, Mikael Håfström pulls this off in a very good manner with help from two well-crafted acting performances from David Dencik and Jonas Karlsson. It's, without a doubt, Håfström's best achievement since his Oscar nominated Evil (2003).

The movie portrays how Thomas Quick was manipulated into confessing over 30 murders; thereafter convicted for eight of them. Even though the focus of the film is on Quick, it's not an understatement to say that the film manages to display how essential journalism is in modern day society. Had it not been for Hannes Råstam, an investigative journalist with a brilliant mind, this story might have never seen the light of day. It is also a reminder of why it's important that we hold people working for the justice system, police force and health care to very high standards. If one is interested in law, psychology, human behaviour and/or journalism - this is a must watch.

The uncovering of this drama has led to numerous documentaries and books being written about the case. It is a legal scandal without comparison in Swedish judicial history; a case which should interest people outside of its borders. Watch it, now.

When I first started hearing recommendations of Big Little Lies, I didn't really pay any attention and waited with seeing it, until I started browsing for new series to watch and this one kept coming up in various places. Oh, what I could've missed. I'd go as far as saying this is one of the best series created during the last couple of years.

A smart, elegant and mysterious story told in an beautiful way. Even if it at times could feel slow-paced, every scene keeps you interested in the story, so you often feel completely sucked into it. And the reward is big as the last episode of the first series is nothing short of a masterpiece.

With a star studded lineup, the audience is getting brilliant performances from all of the cast, especially Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård. The acting is just superb throughout. Not to forget, the series is shot in a beautiful manner which at times make you appreciate how artful it all is.

I'd warmly recommend this for everyone who loves good story-telling, drama and mystery.

Most films now-a-days rarely dear to be pushing the boundaries of the artistic form of cinema. Joachim Trier does this brilliantly by being able to make the viewer experience the same emotions the main character, Thelma, does during the whole movie.

During this beautifully shot piece, we're taken through a very eventful period of Thelma's life and learn to know her whole backstory, which is thought-provoking to say at least. It's a coming of age story told in a stylistic environment with some well-executed acting performances which makes the characters seem genuine. The viewer is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions throughout the film and as told earlier, Trier is great at making the viewer step into the shoes of Thelma.

The story is told in a beautiful manner, even though it might seem slow at times for some viewers. However, I reckon the film would've lost a lot of the suspense and tenseness it manages to create if it was shorter and/or faster, as Trier really lets us dive deep into Thelma's emotions.

Do certainly not hesitate to watch this movie as you will not regret it. Even for those not liking this film as much as I do, it's still a good movie which does not let you down, neither acting, telling or shooting-wise.

As an avid watcher of films and TV series, I've been on IMDb for quite a while, but I've never written a review, even though I casually read reviews from other users. However, this is the first time I feel I need to urge everyone reading this to watch this TV series.

There are loads and loads of TV series about different fields of the intelligence sector, but few of them succeed in being as smart as the agencies they are trying to depict. With Le Bureau des Légendes, it's the other way around. As a viewer, you are constantly being left to guess what everyone's next move is, knowing only little or nothing at all, just like intelligence work in real life.

Agents constantly have to think at least three or four steps ahead and even if you succeed with your first move, there is no guarantee at all that the remaining moves will be successful. As all those actions are being taken on risk assumptions, it makes the series a gripping ride and makes you constantly feel like you're on the edge. The writers, actors and camera men pull this off brilliantly, much thanks to the outstanding writing which makes every single TV episode feel like a miniature movie. If you do some research about how the show was made, you'll notice that part of the production got never before authorized access (even though limited) to real life DGSE, which really shows off.

However, it's not only down to the writing, but to the acting and filming as well. The casting crew has done an amazing job. You can feel the chemistry between the actors and especially from Mathieu Kassovitz and Jean-Pierre Darroussin who bless us with amazing performances.

I don't want to make this review into a TL;DR piece, so I will shortly summarize by saying that Le Bureau des Légendes is one of the most intelligent, tense, gripping and brilliantly acted espionage dramas I've ever seen. The series, which just gets better with every season, is among the best TV ever produced. If you're reading this and you haven't decided if you'll watch it or not - don't wait, as it'll not wait for you.