Kissed by Winter (2005)

Captivating movie !

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The acting in this movie is really good.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The title of the film functions as a metaphor, meaning a sudden encounter with loss, grief and affliction. Victoria, the protagonist, is the one who was "kissed by winter". She escapes from Stockholm and holes herself up somewhere in the north of Norway in order to forget about her past. Then, unexpectedly, she discovers that she is not the only one who has to deal with a personal tragedy.Victoria's past is always present in her mind. We learn about that not only from the flashbacks of her former life, but also from the little gestures she does. When she examines the back of a little boy, one can sense that she thinks of her own son. Later she repeats this gesture when she makes love to Kai. No matter what she does, Sune in always in her thoughts. Furthermore, many children present in the story signify the embodiment of her sense of guilt. Thanks to many close-ups of astounding Annika Hallin, one's overwhelming impression is of an almost tangible tragedy.Some of the characters seem to play a role of "a mirror", in which Victoria can see her own reflection. For example, Kai was also abandoned and accused of murder, though not explicitly responsible. Therefore he can explain her - knowing from his own experience - that guilt and responsibility are two different things. On the other hand, Darjosh's father appears a very strict and demanding parent, just like Victoria used to be. But is that enough to blame both of them for the deaths of their children? Apparently, none of the characters will ever recognise the entire truth about Darjosh's death. The crime investigation woven into the plot fails to directly name the responsible. Clearly, some issues are beyond the scope of morality and cannot be easily judged. This message is emphasised by the usage of the song "Hallelujah" repeated in the film twice and performed by the late Jeff Buckley, who himself died in similarly unexplainable circumstances.In order to get back to her normal life, Victoria has to accept the reality as it is. She also has to "unfreeze" her emotions and learn how to forgive. Sara Johnsen does a fantastic job, portraying her character's gradual change in a slow pace. This meditative and moving film leaves the door open for a little hope at the end.

A well-done film from Norway, shot in many flashbacks and side-stories. It follows a bit on how many Norwegian films are made, with the slow pacing against the crisply cold northern Scandinavian snow. The tale concerns Victoria, a female doctor in a small country town in Norway. She is just fitting in, as a boy's body is found in the snow. An autopsy is called to find if the body was involved in foul play. The story of the dead boy - a Muslim refuge immigrant - falls in with a side storyline of Victoria. Victoria is continuously calls to her estranged husbands' home in Sweden to see how her potentially ill son is doing. Along the story path, different twists form as blame for the snow-found boy's death seems to point in different directions. Ultimately, along with the mystery, the film really tells several moral tales, primarily about parenting. The physician mother who pays little attention to her own son, a dead boy's father coming to terms with his own culture's attitudes, and a suspect who is a seemingly good father, but yet has his own intentions and well-being in mind first. The cultural differences of an American audience with life in Norway might seem stark by comparison, but is well portrayed. The film itself, in how the story is told, is a bit confusing at times, but does tie in neatly at the end. Some viewers might not be able to follow all the side-flashes and flashbacks, which could slow the ending's meaning, but overall, this is a film well worth viewing. In addition, "Wynterkiss" featured a Leonard Cohen penned song, "Hallelujah", hauntingly performed by the late Jeff Buckley.

Making subtle yet penetrating use of what can now be called 21st century flashback--based on films like Amores Perros and several others--the director of this excellent 2005 Norwegian film, Sara Johnsen, has crafted a near-masterpiece that centers on the loss of a child. The main character, Victoria, a pediatrician originally married and in a large city (one presumes either Oslo or Bergen), has moved to a small town following her divorce and a much more traumatic event as well.The discovery of the body of an Iranian refugee boy in the snow draws into the story the local cop, his wife--a friend of Victoria's--the boy's parents, and the local snowplow driver, Kai. The scenes of Victoria's former life with her husband and son are so skillfully woven into the pattern of this film that the contrast between that life and her present one--alone--is absolutely riveting. Her involvement with Kai is an integral part of this story and is done just as skillfully, with great depth of feeling.The resolution of the mystery of the Iranian boy's death converges with the emotional resolution that Victoria reaches regarding her own son's loss. The plotting here is flawless, and the acting is superior. Sara Johnsen is, based on this very strong debut, a real talent to watch in Norwegian film-making. I was lucky enough to have seen this film in New York City's Lincoln Center, during their Norwegian Film Festival.Very highly recommended; one of the top ten films of the year.

Loss of children, loss of life companion, the loss of meaning of life, still having to go on. A story of life and loss, realistic without any absurd twists. A Swedish female doctor goes to job in the Norwegian countryside to get away from her feelings after her son's unexpected death. Only to meet more of it, at the same time as she also finds positive things in life, dealing with her own trauma. A film that makes you think about life, and the way we live it. A close, near story, but not without us questioning her doings. I find the film could easily be made more touching and more sentimental, but the realistic setting of a true life story is compelling enough. The story is revealing how easy it is to misunderstand and misinterpret actions in a situation where you're looking for reasons, that may be not there in the first place. Life is not always reasonable...