I don't understand all the bad reviews. It's not that bad at all.
People complain that it's incoherent. I don't think so. The storytelling is a bit jumpy at times, but I was able to fill in the gaps, follow the story, and understand that the flashbacks were flashbacks.
It's not a dumbed down movie that explains every little detail to the audience like they're stupid, like most American movies do, so yes, you have to pay attention. But it's not rocket science either.
People complain it's slow. I like it. You take the time to immerse yourself in the movie and the characters and the atmosphere and everything that's going on. We're so used to fast fast fast car chases explosions witty comebacks fast fast fast... I'm happy when a movie takes the time to show things in a more contemplative way.
Which perfectly suits the Norwegian culture, btw, where people tend not to talk much, not to gesticulate, not to publicly display much emotion... The almost constant darkness in winter, the silences, the pauses in the dialogue, the rather inexpressive body language with strong emotions just under the surface, all that is very Norwegian. People seem to forget that the movie is set in Norway, not in the US.
Same with people being offended about the "ridiculous" name Harry Hole. Hello? This is Norway, they speak Norwegian, and in Norwegian Hole isn't pronounced like hole in English and doesn't mean hole like in English. There are other cultures in the world beside your own.
The choice not to show any Norwegian language in the movie might contribute to the problem.
Maybe widen your horizons, take a trip to Norway or watch a few Norwegian movies before you criticize?
Anyway, I liked it. People complain that not all subplots have a neat conclusion in the end. It's the same in life. It's not a bad movie at all. Maybe I would hate it if I had read the book, but I haven't read the book. As a standalone movie, it's a memorable one.
People complain that it's incoherent. I don't think so. The storytelling is a bit jumpy at times, but I was able to fill in the gaps, follow the story, and understand that the flashbacks were flashbacks.
It's not a dumbed down movie that explains every little detail to the audience like they're stupid, like most American movies do, so yes, you have to pay attention. But it's not rocket science either.
People complain it's slow. I like it. You take the time to immerse yourself in the movie and the characters and the atmosphere and everything that's going on. We're so used to fast fast fast car chases explosions witty comebacks fast fast fast... I'm happy when a movie takes the time to show things in a more contemplative way.
Which perfectly suits the Norwegian culture, btw, where people tend not to talk much, not to gesticulate, not to publicly display much emotion... The almost constant darkness in winter, the silences, the pauses in the dialogue, the rather inexpressive body language with strong emotions just under the surface, all that is very Norwegian. People seem to forget that the movie is set in Norway, not in the US.
Same with people being offended about the "ridiculous" name Harry Hole. Hello? This is Norway, they speak Norwegian, and in Norwegian Hole isn't pronounced like hole in English and doesn't mean hole like in English. There are other cultures in the world beside your own.
The choice not to show any Norwegian language in the movie might contribute to the problem.
Maybe widen your horizons, take a trip to Norway or watch a few Norwegian movies before you criticize?
Anyway, I liked it. People complain that not all subplots have a neat conclusion in the end. It's the same in life. It's not a bad movie at all. Maybe I would hate it if I had read the book, but I haven't read the book. As a standalone movie, it's a memorable one.