Norwegian Dream

First off Hubert Milkowski is a first rate actor, and hopefully Poland is proud to have him. In this excellent film he plays a young man Robert who has decided to leave Poland after a traumatic attack of gay bashing. The scene where he relates this to his lover, a young black man is deeply moving. Robert is working and badly paid for it in a fish processing plant. His lover is the owner's son. No spoilers but he goes through many compromises, both in his relationship with his lover and the work force around him. The passionate scenes are well shot, but do not fall into the too easy gay film trope of showing totally explicit sexuality. Erotic they are, intercut with Robert totally dressed in a daydream lying happily in the countryside his body relaxed looking fulfilled. This is in contrast to his tense and closeted self among the factory workers and even at the beginning with his future lover. In my opinion Polish film has come a long way since Polanski's ' Knife in the Water ' and Wajda. It deals with homophobia and racism, and this in itself is brave coming out of a Lodz trained director. It is expertly directed, with perfectly cast actors and it has its ambiguities which is not a negative thing. It is as complex as life itself. A deserved ten.

I could watch Hubert Milkowski in just about anything and he doesn't disappoint here! This story explores an immigrant's experiences in a bleak and dreary setting in Norway gutting and slicing fish all day long. He's the sole bread winner in his home, a troubled relationship with his mother, and his burgeoning sexual awakening for a black queer man. While both actors did a great job, Hubert's facial features and forlorn looks truly brought something "extra" to this film. I'm truly happy to see this new wave to gay storytelling across racial, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic lines. This film is worth a watch.

This is a short review without any spoilers. Director Leiv Igor Devold's Norwegian Dream is a powerful feature film that challenges Norwegian audiences to see Norway from an outsider's perspective. The film revolves around young and queer individuals, vulnerability, and what it means to be an outsider. It balances these themes successfully and raises important questions while hinting at answers. The film also explores the tension between traditional masculinity and queerness, as well as the conflicts arising from national and social boundaries. Norwegian Dream is an impressive film with a strong message. Well done to everyone involved in the production! Definitely worth a watch!

This movies tries to cover too many stories, all being loosely strung together by the story of two central characters. It does not work. The script lacks continuity and context and assumes that viewers know about the exploitation and mistreatment of Polish workers in the Norwegian fishing industry. Nothing is explained and the choppy editing doesn't help explain much. The acting is really bad and one gets the impression that the producer hurries the plot and narrative along before the funding runs out. Overall, it could have been better if time were taken to explain the event and the movie did not try to cover so many extraneous events that have little to do with the central plot!

'Norwegian Dream' touches lots of topical issues that could have developed much further and potentially controversial - immigrant workers and exploitation of them, homophobia in Poland, an adopted black son who performs in drag, seemingly open but in fact rather hypocritical attitude of Norwegians in regard of the above issues... It could have been especially a great opportunity to tell the story from the Polish immigrant worker's point of view (as opposed to in British or German pop culture where Polish plumber/painter/farm hand/cleaner/etc are treated as a footnote or a background). When Poland is deemed soon surpass UK and Germany's economic indicators and yet its politics on its regressive path (of rising homophobia and xenophobia, for example), the film could have been a timely comment and a self-reflection... But unfortunately none of it really develops beyond a mere predictable dramatic device, while the drama itself (namely Roberto's emotional struggle and romance) also fails to go truly deep and touching. There's nothing out of place or offensive. Actings are adequate, cinematography, editing, production value all delivers... It's all very watchable... but it lacks a punch, a surprise, a grip.

It's a pity that I would be remembering this film more as what it could have been than what it is.