Erik Poppe created a masterpiece with this work. Wonderful characters fill this brilliantly shot film. The intertwined stories are a common enough device, but they work particularly well in this movie. Each of these diverse characters is so well developed that I would watch a film built around any of them with great interest. It has become my "go to" DVD when I am in need of a powerful film to lift a sagging soul. I give it the highest possible compliment when I call it Steinbeckian. A Steinbeckian film to me is one where the humanity of all the characters, no matter how evil their actions, is on view. Empathy is generated where other films will often resort to caricature. The tension in this film leaves my heart pounding every time I watch, knowing full well what happens next. At the same time I see new nuances every time I watch it. You know, I may just pop it in the machine right now.
Review of Hawaii, Oslo
