Uno

This about gang criminality, loyalty to the gang and cowardliness was a very pleasant surprise. I find it to be a realistic picture of how these things operate with well developed characters, good script, realistic atmosphere with sometimes a very strong feeling of anxiety and the actors are all fit their role very good including the mother of David and Kjetil who I find very understanding of the situation and a strong mother. Best is Bjørn Floberg as Jarle though. He is quite scary actually.

Aksel Hennie put a lot of work into the script and you can tell. It moves very quickly with no dead points. The relations are thought out. Camera-work is good too, Oslo center-east is put forth as it feels, but not too easily is transmitted through pictures. Recommended together with 'Hawaii, Oslo' in which Hennie plays a similar role in the neighbourhood of this movie and 'Schpaaa' also about Oslo underworld and its affiliation with youths. Both are by Erik Poppe. Not meant to take away the spotlight from 'Uno' though.

OK, this movie has received a lot of harsh comments, even though it is one of the best Norwegian films ever made.

Aksel Hennie has written the screenplay himself, he started several years before his dream of the film became realized. The movie is based on a good story, set in Downtown-Oslo. The characters are involved in the shady side of the society, and this gives the film a good plot.

As a first in Norwegian film history, a guy with Downs-syndrome plays Aksels brother, who has downs-syndrome. According to Aksel, this gave the character more credibility, and the guy does a really good job.

The screenplay, acting and music in this film is top notch, a film worth seeing!

I watched the film during the Istanbul Film Festival (2-17 April 2005) between two low-tempered films both from Europe, and Uno just suited very well between those two slow ones. The first thing about "Uno" is its tempo. It starts in a smooth mode and goes on like this through the whole film. Even in the beginning, when the main characters were introduced, the movie starts to "move". Both the visual technique Hennie used and the elements of the story serve the the tempo of the film very well. The movie has waves in itself but it never breaks at any point. The second important thing i guess is the atmosphere of the movie. Every place in the movie was well-chosen and well-prepared. The houses, the room of David, the gym... The atmosphere created by Hennie was dark but hopeful. And i liked it. And Tom Mcrae's songs adds a lot to the movie. After all, nice movie even for non-Norwegians!! 8/10.

This film is not the one you should see if you want to have a cheerful evening. It is a very strong story from the reality in Oslo's gang/crime world. During the film i felt it in my guts. The depression, the anxiety and the fear the many characters must feel. the director Hennie has made a film that has a nerve during the hole film. A definitive must see film!.!

The cast also have a credibility you don't often see (espesially in norwegian movies).

For other nordic readers this film will remind you of the danish film "Pusher". Its much the same anxiety the characters feel when they have to deliver money the creepy gangsters. Again a MUST SEE FILM!

I don't know where to start. This film is excellent on many levels. All of the characters are believable and the storyline is quite realistic. The acting is superb. The soundtrack is great. The camera work is excellent. The movie is packed with RAW emotion.

David represents anyone who is alone in this world, or at least feels alone. His life was in a rut. His father is dying, his mom is having a nervous breakdown, and his brother has down syndrome. Aside from that he has no real friends he can depend on. David is really alone mentally and physically. Even though the film is very downbeat and sad, I feel that the ending shows how a real man must face the world. We must face it by ourselves.

I truly enjoyed the film and I think anyone with an open mind will enjoy this emotional piece of art.