I Am Dina

"I am Dina" tells us a romantic story, which takes place in the romantic era of Europe.

When I'm saying romantic, I think of the the original meaning of the word, which means something like: emotions at a cosmic scale and importance.

Dina is a joyful child, until a truly unfortunate accident, which scars her soul for eternity, and makes her grow up to be a very troubled woman. On the other hand, she is beautiful, and witty, so men find her very attracting. Now she has to choose herself a man, and a life.

I've always been in trouble with the typical romantic setting (and this film is a fine example for that), for mostly it makes the most illogical (yet, stereotypical) plots, and the best acting performances come together in a film.

And that's the exact same case here. Characters in this movie are endlessly ruining each others life, just because they feel like it. They never think. Never learn. They're all passionate, stubborn, selfish, arrogant people, with a high emotional level, and absolute no sense of reality. And that's what it makes all performances very strong, yet very melodramatic. And since it's a pretty long movie, all this kind of approach, and all the suffering gets a bit too much, too overreacted, and too monotone as the movie flows, and you find yourself waiting for the end. Te tension is always in the air, but it makes you numb after awhile.

But technically, this film is flawless. That's the way it should go. Only a bit shorter maybe.

(I didn't have any problems with the accents of various actors. And since American dubbing voices for foreign movies mostly turn out to be failures, I think this is the best way they could execute this film)

This is a truly brilliant film. The storyline is fantastic; Herbjørg Wassmo is a very good author. The film is emotionally very strong, and some of the scenes are not for the faint hearted, but nevertheless it is worth seeing. The dialog is English, however most of the actors are not, it is evident that some of the actors are not used to using the English language in their line of work (not everybody goes to Hollywood) and therefore the accents are a bit off so to speak, but this does not make the film any less brilliant. It is my opinion that the actors have had the chance to show just how good they are at ACTING, rather than their ability to pronounce the English language. This is absolutely a film worth seeing, even if you're English and the actors are not!

This movie is one of the best cast films I have ever seen.

The acting from Maria Bonnevie(Dina)is amazing. Totally realistic in a not-over-the-top way. The script is fantastic ("then my momma left me" - be aware that this film is primarily Norwegian with a mix of Danish/French/Swedish - not American - and is set in the 1860's). Supporting actors like Gerard Depardieu, Hans Matheson and Mads Mikkelsen really sets it off. And I don't know where they found the young-en to play the young Dina but she was perfect. To round it off you have breathtaking scenery and a brilliant soundtrack.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good drama.

I feel I must disagree with the previous review of this film. The title of the move is, after all "I Am Dina," and not "We are the people who live and interact with Dina." The fact that the director of this film does not indulge in a more in-depth exploration of the supporting characters is to be expected, as the premise of the movie is that it allows us to witness the world through Dina's eyes, to see the effect other people have on her, and to a lesser extent, the effect she has on them. In this way, the movie is an astounding success. The masterfully crafted dialogue allows for the unique, if subordinate, personas of the supporting actors to shine through while not overpowering the focus of the story: an achingly real, beautiful woman who fights a personal struggle on both the internal and external fronts. This is certainly not a movie for every one. At times, it leaves one feeling as a guest in the imagination of the director as he reads an excellent book; as such the movie deserves an audience that is capable of being swept away by a story.

I Am Dina is a powerful epic, which likes Scandinavia has never produced before. The tragic story of Dina, who accidently kills her mother, touches and effects you so much, that you can't get it out of your mind when you leave the cinema.

The film is brilliantly directed by Dane, Ole Bornedal. He has previously directed the world famous thriller Nightwatch, starring Nick Nolte. He can create warmth in one scene, and horrifying pictures in the next. It's powerful, and it works.

Some one who also is worth mentioning, is the lead actress, Maria Bonnevie. She is brilliant, and powerful. You really feel with this poor girl, who has been treated so badly by life. She deserves all the Oscars in the world for her great performance.

Also the score, the art direction and the cinematography is great. I truly hope and wish that I Am Dina will be nominated for a handful of Oscars in march 2003. Only time will tell.

So do it. Go watch it. It's worth it!