Powerful

Absolutely Fantastic

A Major Disappointment

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This is a good film but personally it doesn't ring true.Addiction can be devastating. It often is. I speak from personal experience. A relatively lengthy period of abstinence like 10 months can be totally reinvigorating but relapse is not uncommon. The effects of drugs/alcohol cause physical and emotional pain. Anders would at least be feeling positive effects from the relief of the physical pain. This is not apparent.What is uncommon is that if your life has been totally devastated to the point where you are in enforced rehab, it is unlikely that you would slip back into life in the way the protagonist of the film has. The point of the film seems to be that the life and people you once had are no longer available to you and yet in this film they actually are to a strong degree. He is welcomed by friends, family are understanding, he gets to go to parties with well adjusted, well healed people. The reality, more often than not, is that most people would be giving you a wide berth because of the mess you have created. Norwegian society might be more sympathetic but addiction is still very much a personal 'crime'.Paradoxically, we are led to believe that the editor would not consider him for the job because of his problems. I find that highly unlikely considering the way Anders presents himself. I would think that a journalist would consider that non judgmentally or at least be keen to appear non judgmental. Some might see such an experience as a useful insight. Anders is not a shambling mess after all.This isn't a film about the devastating effects of drug addiction, this is a film about an individual who is unable to come to terms with life, his experience of drug addiction is a facet of that and his privileged circumstances are uncommon. His life is all around him, he fails to see it. That can be true of someone with or without addiction problems. Look around the streets in the poor areas of any city if you want to see what drugs do to people. A short stint in rehab seldom leads you to nice parties sipping moet chandon with attractive young upwardly mobiles.

Solid movie, all the actors and especially the lead gave great performances, but comparing to it's older, darker and more poignant brother Swedish Dag och natt with amazing Mikael Persbrandt, it's just not that great. It does have some great dialogs and great scenes, but overall lacks the impact that Dag och natt (dealing with subject of the last day in the life of a person who's decided to commit suicide) or Requiem for a dream (dealing with the subject of drug addiction) have. I guess the movie wanted to be too likable to general crowd and played too safe. Good, but it could be better if it were more brave and if it took some risk.

Anders is a 34 year old recovering drug addict in a rehab clinic. He's got 2 more weeks and isn't doing well. He's given leave to go to a job interview in downtown Oslo. He visits his friends Thomas and Rebecca. He and Thomas dig into their lives. The interview turns into a disaster when he admits to his drug past and he spirals out of control. He goes to meet his sister Nina but her friend shows up. Then he starts a night of drinking and parties ending in his darken room.It's small Norwegian film. It has a little too many quiet moments. The lead lacks a certain liveliness at the start. The movie takes too long to generate any power. The directing style is too quiet. It needs energy to match his growing anger and frustration. The overlaying of all the other people's conversations dilute his experience. There is power in his story. However the movie keeps looking away from him. I'm not sold on it. Then it turns into one of those all night party movies which again I'm not sold on as part of his life. I'd think that an addict would break as soon as he starts drinking again. The whole movie lacks that destructive energy that the character seems to imply.

This is probably one of the lighter films to touch on the perils of addiction. The main character has clearly been through his ups and downs, but this film touches on his rehabilitation and him working out ho he might work his way back into his relationships with friends and family.It is incredibly visceral, with a soundtrack that matches the echoey pace of the film. I loved the extensive dialogue with the first friend he makes contact with, which cleverly compares the 'lost soul' of the reformed addict with the general malaise of the modern married person.This film has a light touch but I felt myself gripped the whole way through.