Rating: 
Summary: Don't just watch it, experience it.
Review: There was a season of Norweigan films showing at my local arthouse theatre, so I thought I would go and see this one. I'm glad I did. Once I saw it, I couldn't wait to own a copy. I had to wait a while to get this disc, but it was worth it as this is such a great film. It's beautiful to watch and the acting, especially from Stellan Skarsgård (whom is one of the greatest and most under-rated actors working today), is excellent. From the first scene to the last, I was glued to the screen. If you have at least half my attention span you will be too!
The subtitles aren't off-putting, you get used to it, and once it had finished i wanted to watch it again...
Rating:
Summary: Not a clone of "Seven"
Review: These are two entirely different films; "Seven" is essentially a gialli, such as "Deep Red", right down to copying aspects of Dario Argento's style, and for all its gloom and doom is really as overheated and ill-thought-out as those films. This is much different...and, in my humble opinion, much better. Also much colder and harsher, an exercise in brutal logic that takes its cues from the unyielding sun. It's anchored by both a very clever script and a sterling performance by Stellan Skarsgard, as a detective being packed off to the far north to get him out of his superiors' faces. He has a lot to prove...but as the daylight begins to seep into him, it lights things inside him he'd rather keep down. Skarsgard completely fractures during this film, watching his moral codes either blur or go completely out the window. He probably IS unhinged...but Skarsgard plays it close enough to the chest that you're not completely sure. All the characters are fleshed out, and the plot is, as I said, very well thought-out. I don't want to give away any of it, so I can't discuss any further. Suffice it to say, if you love noir, you'll love this.
Rating:
Summary: The music as The film
Review: This amazing film features music from Geir Jennsen (biosphere) with vocals by Mia Kaarinadotter, I was amazed that Geir never wrote a film score before, astonishing minimal sonic landscapes which generates images by their selves.
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and riveting.
Review: This debut film by writer/director Erik Skjoldbærg will keep your attention. Any one aspect of this movie would win the acclaim of many, but it has them all. The story of an accomplished Swedish cop (played by internationally acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård) who is severly affected by the much advertised 'midnight sun'. It shows the lengths to which he will go to preserve his reputation and solve the case. The city- and land-scapes are both complemented by the aesthetic digital transfer which Criterion is notorious for. This film will surely make a fine addition to even the most distinguished of DVD collections.
Rating:
Summary: No sleep for the wicked
Review: This film is about to be remade by Chris Nolan (Memento), starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams (!) and Hilary Swank. I can only hope that this will bring some well-deserved attention to the original. Stellan Skarsgaard (probably best known for playing alongside Robin Williams in 'Good Will Hunting') stars as the Swedish policeman working in Norway, sent north of the polar circle to solve a brutal murder. From there everything goes wrong. This is a film noir shot under the midnight sun. The complex and ambiguous character studies create an internal tension that is more suspenseful than any action set-pieces. As a stylish psychological thriller it rivals 'Seven' or 'Memento'. The other notable strength of the film is the cinematography. Scenes are uniformly over-exposed, making viewers feel the exhaustion of the main character. Colours seem to have been bleached away from the film, like from the wooden buildings along the docks. Transitions are white-outs, not fade-to-black. This is hyper-realism that sometimes achieves a dream-like quality. If the film has any weak points, it is some of the supporting actors, who sometimes seem a bit theatrical in their speech patterns and mannerisms. (Foreigners may be confused by the film unless they realise that Norwegian policemen require special permission to carry guns, and that this is not the case in Sweden.)
Rating: 
Summary: Not Great But Better than the Cheap American Version
Review: This is a straight film that seems to be hidden in dilluted colors and although it is much improved over the American version, there is still something lacking which makes it a great film. It deals with a detective who is possessed not so much as by guilt, but an inability to come to grips with his existence.
Rating:
Summary: gorgeous in its bleak creepiness
Review: This is an intriguing, disquieting look at a couple of deeply troubled individuals... yet, it's so engrossing! Wow! Beautifully photographed, told with an economy of elements and characters. Skarsgard is outstanding in a very realistic performance as an intriguing character who is thoroughly unlikeable but thoroughly interesting. Ignore the Hitchcock comparisons, this is altogether different and much more subtle. The subtitles are quite legible, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Very poor
Review: This movie is totally unbelievable. I don't understand the premise and the actors act like they are foreigners.
Rating: 
Summary: best version of the two
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film. This is the original Norwegian version. The film was later remade starring Al Pacino. This origianl is a lot better and has more suspense. The problem is that many international films, when remade as American films are too 'hollywoodized' I like this version for numerous reasons. In this version, filmed in the director's hometown of Tromsø, is a larger city and has more character interaction. The plot element the title is based on, being unable to sleep because of the midnight sun, seems more practical in a large city as far as crime is concerned. While in the US, Alaska is the only place where the sun is out at midnight (in the summer only).
Crime would be more likely in a large city. This version also has some good scenes of the counrtyside outside Tromsø which are very beautiful. The special features on the DVD are a theatrical trailer and TV commericals which aired in Norway. If you have seen the 2002 version of the film, you might like this one also.
Rating: 
Summary: not good
Review: this starts off as a pretty good thriller...and then disintegrates into an angsty existential piece...which I was not in the mood for. what a let down
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