Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Logan
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
dwpollar
1st watched 12/31/2009 – 4 out of 10(Dir-Hans Petter Moland): Honest yet non-conclusive drama about the reconciliation of a separated family brought about by the dying wishes of a mother with cancer. This is a well acted movie and doesn't try to fluff up anything to make it look better than it is, but there was no real punch to affect the viewer. Basically, the story is about a daughter who accepts the mother's wish to bring her alcohol-addicted father to see her in the hospital. Her real hope is that the father and daughter will reconcile during the trip but this is a hard pill to swallow. The father stays drunk thru most of the trip and the daughter expectedly stays hard-nosed and her negative side is revealed thru their experiences. They meet up with a helpful truck driver whom the daughter eventually beds and learns to respect as he sticks around long enough to help them get to their destination. This side story is nice and there is the other issue as to whether the father and daughter are really biological father and daughter which adds some twists as well. All in all though, there is a lot of pain in this story that never really gets resolved --- so it's hard to like the movie. The makers really work hard to make you sympathize and to me this is very obvious. All in all, this is an OK movie but it didn't give you much to hold onto in it's entirety.
beasymc
Isn't it wonderful how out of nowhere you can get hit with a film like this. I was hypnotized by Lena Headey from the start and i couldn't let go. I wondered where they were hiding this wonderful actress and began searching for answers.. Still haven't found any. Could hardly find anything about this movie. Blockbuster of course didn't have it and I haven't seen it played on the Sundance channel since. But no matter, it will remain with me forever...Lena by the way had a couple of movies this year ("The Cave" & " The Brother's Grimm" ) what a waste of this interesting actress. And by the way, have you seen the movie credits of Ian Hart. Whoa! More movies than Michael Caine. Anyway, if you get a chance, stay with this one. It was worth its weight in gold.
Exiled_Archangel
Aberdeen is a unique piece, with an interesting soundtrack, PERFECT acting, and an outstanding plot. As mentioned earlier, it's so very European with its realism. Slow, but rewarding. Also, I think Stellan Skarsgård is the best actor ever! Not just this movie, but his other stuff as well. Especially Insomnia and this one. He's just brilliant. I've also seen his son on Ondskan, so I'll simply try to watch every movie that has anything to do with the Skarsgård family from now on! I can only think of Rutger Hauer who might be as good as him. Lena Headey is also adorable. She's got goddess looks, and the best of acting skills. Such great actors and a nice story makes Aberdeen a wonderful movie. Aberdeen is nothing like a Hollywood movie, but despite what it seems, neither is it exactly one of those movies which are crowned by intellectual-wannabes as masterpieces just because they're boring as hell.
If you like Tarkovsky or Klimov, you'll dislike this movie. If you like Hollywood, you'll hate this movie. (And it'll hate you too!) If you weren't disgusted by the superficiality of Love Actually, you'll be disgusted by the depth of this movie. But if you're interested in the works of relatively new generation Scandinavian directors, then Aberdeen will look fine to you.
All in all, it could have been much better with, say, Lars Von Trier, but it's also pretty darn good as it is. 8.5/10 - Recommended!
oranxg
it's hard to describe this film....kind of slow and dull at times, and yet it definitely leaves you with an impression. What the director is trying to get across i cannot say for sure, but what i can say is that this film conveys, almost imposes a certain somber mood upon the audience, especially with the use of color (primarily blue, gray, and everything in between). It reminds me of another film called il mare. But anyways, the acting is excellent. I had never heard of Lena Headey before but she was absolutely fantastic. It's unfortunate how acting of that quality is in short supply in the U.S. Also, i thought it was a nice touch how the director began the film with Kaisa being the responsible, well dressed one while the father was the slovenly drunk and then reversing the roles towards the end of the film. Although i am still thinking through the meanings....
