90 Minutes

This stern take on contemporary urban life and the dangers of backlashes in modern sex roles is comprised of three separate stories told alternately. They are all condensed in time, space and action, and they are all extremely bleak and unrelenting representations of what writer/director Eva Sørhaug claims is happening behind closed doors in urban Norway (and presumably other western countries). They are like three different novelettes, united by a common theme: men who are not able to handle their own waning manhood, and the catastrophic results of this.

Not all three segments here work equally well. And in order to critique this film, their function must be assessed both separately and as a whole. The first story is about a man who has run his business and himself into bankruptcy and cannot bear to face the consequences for himself or his wife. This is perhaps the best and most resonant piece, elevated by Bjørn Floberg's dignified performance and Sørhaug's aptly distanced observations. The second concerns a typical modern split family, where dad visits his children and ex-wife in his old house, and becomes increasingly indignant by their happiness in light of his own eluding happiness. Although this segment is explosive and full of recognisable elements, actors Mads Ousdal and Pia Tjelta (real-life partners) cannot quite communicate this to us, and it becomes a story of somewhat unfulfilled potential. The final story is about a wife-beater who has locked his wife and newborn child in their apartment. This is both the film's most discussed and least effective segment. My main concern is that I'm not convinced by the Aksel Hennie character's modus operandi. The fact that I have witnessed a similar type of abuse first-hand growing up may not have made me an expert on this particular subject, but what I've seen and experienced makes Trond come off as too much of a concoction for me; he's too much action and too little thought. While Sørhaug and Hennie are able to convey the man's aggression and the wife's desperation, they offer little insight into the mindset of neither - and especially not the ambivalence which must fill Hennie's character. Alas, Sørhaug's writing here is lacking, and Hennie is out of his depth.

As a result of this, 90 minutter becomes an ordeal - both because of the gruelling nature of its stories and because Sørhaug writes checks she's not quite able to cash. And even if you don't agree with me about the ineffectiveness of the aforementioned third segment, the big question remains: What exactly does she want to say? Does she offer any insight into why these men act the way they do? Or, more importantly, does she give any observations as to why these people end up doing what they do? I wasn't able to deduct any relevant social criticism (apart from that concerning the modern male sex role), and I wasn't able to find any redemption either. It's like Sørhaug simply wants to show us that she's discovered mankind's darkest secrets, and then brags about her discovery. She's like an older teenager telling younger teenagers ghost-stories around the camp fire.

Some films are difficult to watch because they appear like a mirror before you, forcing you to do some soul-searching along the way, but with 90 minutter, the unpleasantness comes from having to watch things you would rather think didn't exist. In this respect, the film is in the vein of the hard-hitting French movie Irréversible from 2002, only what Sørhaug asks us to watch is told so flatly and unrelentingly that it borders on misanthropic. The one and only redress we're offered is in the form of downright revenge. And although that may be necessary in some extreme situations in life (like the one Karianne finds herself in) it is not something I'll applaud artworks for fronting.

What a thoroughly depressing way to spend ninety minutes of your life. It all begins with a sixty something year old man on the phone ending his newspaper subscription. This is part of the three unrelated stories. The second one involves a guy sitting in a kitchen while conversing with a woman and their children. The tension is palpable, as his ex-wife speaks on the phone with her current man. Number three is a drug addict in biker shirts behaving very strangely as he watches television. He walks into a bedroom and mounts a tied up woman for a quick round of unwanted intercourse. Oh what fun those Norwegians are. He later unties the woman so that she can breast feed their screaming infant. I have no idea what the hell the point is to the three unconnected plots is supposed to be, other than that life is a great struggle and that we live in a world where sudden deadly violence may occur. The acting is fine overall, but I cannot recommend Ninety Minutes for any reason at all.

I went to a screening of this film at the Toronto International Film Festival. We had to exchange tickets at the last minute before leaving the city and we picked this one quite at random. I must say I didn't expect what I saw.

The film begins as slowly as any film can be. A woman and his husband prepare for their children's birthday party. An older man cancels his newspaper subscription. A young man watches TV and observes the teenagers playing on the other side of the street. Going into the film, you know you're about to observe the last 90 minutes of these people's lives. But how do they get from doing the most mundane things to dying? Is it their own doing? Is it planned? Will someone else end their lives?

This is what you explore in 90 minutes. The contrast between all of these stories is what makes the experience interesting. The elderly's story seems straightforward. It's slow and it's sad but you know why, and almost how it's coming. The couple's story takes a different turn somewhere down the road and ends with a bang. I live in Quebec, and somehow I find it resonates with recent events here but no matter where you come from, you'll know of something like this.

The first two stories (although they do go back and forth between them so there isn't really a particular order) are scenes that we're almost accustomed to. The hatred, the regrets, the shame that can all build up within the most ordinary people only to explode in a burst of violence or drag the people you love down with you. It's real and beautifully shown here. We get glimpses of their past and it ties everything together, so that everyone will understand.

The third story begins ordinarily as well. After a somewhat long shot, the camera moves and suddenly the story is turned into a nightmare. It's the most disturbing and violent part of the film. It's also the one that raised the most questions. Why did she stay there? How long had this been going on? Had it always been like this? Unfortunately here you are made to answer the questions yourself. Perhaps the relationship took a wrong turn. Perhaps the man changed along the way. Or maybe it really never was a relationship to begin with. Either way this story is the one that takes the film to the next level. The one that allows us to glimpse into the violence present outside of the world of ordinary middle class people.

90 minutes will shock you. It's not a long film but it isn't especially easy to watch either. It's definitely worth seeing if you like foreign films, or don't mind ones that aren't action packed from beginning to end.

In my opinion the film was very depressing, dark , real and true . The actors made the film feel so real , there are so much horrors and abuse behind closed doors. Horrifying scenes that makes the watcher feel sympathy, anger, regret and many more emotions. Will give this film a must watch , but at the same time say that it was a "hard watch".

8.5/10 , true movie that makes the watcher Feel and wonder instead of a fast pased happy ending film.

Seen alot of films while sick , but this is the one I will recommend to people who want a film that makes you feel and reflect. Norwegian language may be hard to take serious if you're not Scandinavian.

Almost every Nordic movie has a very special feature - even if the beginning seems slow and the story is unfolding in short steps, the viewer is literally sucked into it and eventually feels like the time was well spent. This is also a case of 90 Minutes.

The movie takes us into distinct lives of 3 very different people. Things do not seem optimistic for any of them from the beginning and they're not going to change much. Even though we don't learn everything - there are many "whys" unanswered - we learn just enough to understand why things end how they end.

As mentioned, the beginning of the movie is as slow as can be, which lets the viewer think about the whole story more. Performances are simply stunning - you can read the emotion from the actor's face. Aksel Hennie is a big talent and seem to fit in any role. Together with great camera (which doesn't always show everything similarly as the story doesn't tell everything) makes 90 Minutes well worth spending the 90 minutes to watch it.