Hope

Hovig and Skarsgård are both very good.

The movie offers hope to its characters but, even more affectingly, to us.

Andrea Bræin Hovig and Stellan Skarsgard are transcendent.

This is a very well-acted, well-written Norwegian drama... Clear-eyed, insightful, and heartfelt.

The full, flawed humanity of Hovid and Skarsgard's characters is imbued in nearly every scene, even their smallest interactions bearing the full weight of a long romantic history.

The effect of Hope is anything but depressing; it's reassuring proof of art's ability to comfort as it clarifies.

Sødahl's loose, eavesdropping style helps to convey both the highs and lows in an intimate way that never feels forced or gratuitous, making for a film that is bold, unusual and even, at times, uplifting.

A deeply affecting relationship drama anchored by two unforgettable performances.

Though the set-up might still seem a contrived excuse for drama, the characters are believable. Hovig and Skarsgard are both excellent.

You take nothing for granted in this honest, beautiful movie, which never strays into sentimental terminal-romance territory and is shot by Lars von Trier's regular DP Manuel Alberto Claro.