I Am Dina (2002) User Reviews (45)

First Danish movie with a real shot at the Oscars

[locutus1999 · 8/10 · 11 April 2002]

I Am Dina is a powerful epic, which likes Scandinavia has never produced before. The tragic story of Dina, who accidently kills her mother, touches and effects you so much, that you can't get it out of your mind when you leave the cinema.

The film is brilliantly directed by Dane, Ole Bornedal. He has previously directed the world famous thriller Nightwatch, starring Nick Nolte. He can create warmth in one scene, and horrifying pictures in the next. It's powerful, and it works.

Some one who also is worth mentioning, is the lead actress, Maria Bonnevie. She is brilliant, and powerful. You really feel with this poor girl, who has been treated so badly by life. She deserves all the Oscars in the world for her great performance.

Also the score, the art direction and the cinematography is great. I truly hope and wish that I Am Dina will be nominated for a handful of Oscars in march 2003. Only time will tell.

So do it. Go watch it. It's worth it!

Worth checking out.

[McBuff · 6/10 · 6 April 2002]

Norwegian Herbjørg Wassmos bestseller is turned into an unorthodox costume drama by the director of "Night Watch", Danish Ole Bornedal. Overwrought, but fast paced drama tells the story of Dina, a young girl who was way ahead of her time, and her influence on the men in her life, her stern father (Floberg), husband Jacob (Depardieu, in great form), and Russian lover Leo (Eccleston, sporting as dubious a Russian accent as Sean Connery did in The Hunt for Red October...). Dina is played by Maria Bonnevie, who turns in a wild-eyed, over-the-top performance that is alternately frightening and fascinating (think Liv Tyler with a bad caffeine addiction). Major liabilities are the shifting accents, due to the film´s cast of mostly Northern European actors. This is a distraction, and would have worked better just sticking to Norwegian actors, but then, no one would probably go see "I Am Dina". Many Danish character actors appear in bit parts; you can spot them by their dodgy accents...although Sætter-Lassen and Mikkelsen stand out positively as cello tutor Lorch and the treacherous bookkeeper Niels. Beautiful locations and lush cinematography by Dan Laustsen, a Bernard Herrmann-inspired music score by Marco Beltrami help this a long way. Plenty of sex and violence that you wouldn´t find in a Merchant-Ivory working of the same theme, the film is more reminiscent in tone and execution to Luc Besson´s "Joan of Arc", but just as uneven.

Best scene has young Dina introduced to the magic of the cello. 6/10.

A romantic story

[standardbearer · 6/10 · 9 December 2007]

"I am Dina" tells us a romantic story, which takes place in the romantic era of Europe.

When I'm saying romantic, I think of the the original meaning of the word, which means something like: emotions at a cosmic scale and importance.

Dina is a joyful child, until a truly unfortunate accident, which scars her soul for eternity, and makes her grow up to be a very troubled woman. On the other hand, she is beautiful, and witty, so men find her very attracting. Now she has to choose herself a man, and a life.

I've always been in trouble with the typical romantic setting (and this film is a fine example for that), for mostly it makes the most illogical (yet, stereotypical) plots, and the best acting performances come together in a film.

And that's the exact same case here. Characters in this movie are endlessly ruining each others life, just because they feel like it. They never think. Never learn. They're all passionate, stubborn, selfish, arrogant people, with a high emotional level, and absolute no sense of reality. And that's what it makes all performances very strong, yet very melodramatic. And since it's a pretty long movie, all this kind of approach, and all the suffering gets a bit too much, too overreacted, and too monotone as the movie flows, and you find yourself waiting for the end. Te tension is always in the air, but it makes you numb after awhile.

But technically, this film is flawless. That's the way it should go. Only a bit shorter maybe.

(I didn't have any problems with the accents of various actors. And since American dubbing voices for foreign movies mostly turn out to be failures, I think this is the best way they could execute this film)

Très bizarre! but good, says this Yank

[melbrs · 13 May 2004]

I saw this film in Paris last year. Going in, I didn't know what to expect, I knew the film wasn't French, but I didn't know it was Norwegian until I saw the Norwegian flag waving away in the background of one of the early scenes. I was fully expecting to read the French subtitles, but by happy coincidence the film was in English. Now I know many here have complained about the poor use of English in the film, but I don't recall it being that bad (although I admit it has been a year since I've seen it). I just recall that the actors sounded like non-native English speakers speaking English, which by nature is going to be imperfect. Actually, that's not true I know many non-native English speakers who speak English TECHNICALLY more correct than native speakers. When that happens THAT'S when I'm likely to complain about the awkwardness of the actors in regard to language. If you're writing your thesis, OK use technically perfect English. But, in real life it's all about slang!

ANYWAY! Back on point: I liked this film. It's NOTHING like the films you'd see being produced in the US, even the independent ones. But the best way i can sum it up is to quote some random guy I overheard outside the theater when asked what the film was like: "Très bizarre!"

Incoherent

[thniels · 7/10 · 4 May 2002]

Incoherent is the word I feel best describes my experience with this movie. Ole Bornedal simply wanted too much and accomplished too little in a movie jam packed with events but no background to explain them. I would have preferred he had left out a few and dwelled more on the characters. Apart from an intimidating Dina, who is portrayed brillantly by Maria Bonnevie, most other characters pop up and disappear without much focus on their inner mechanics. Most are simply treated as props. I must say, however, that Bjørn Floberg as Dina's father does an excellent piece of acting in bringing the character so much anger and ill feelings.

The locations and the craftsmanship of the movie in general, is admirable. Beautiful settings and what many have described as postcard like sceneries. A movie that could have touched its audience but failed nonetheless.

Many have criticized the choice of language in this movie but I really don't think it did much harm, hearing a bunch of Nordic actors (and a French) speak English. Perhaps some of them might have been more comfortable speaking their mother tongue and thus acted more naturally, but who knows?

What you are,you are forever.

[AB4 · 9/10 · 19 January 2005]

I don't really like to write reviews but I've read the one for this particular movie and I can't let others read it and think the movie is as bad as it is accused of being.First of all I've read the book by Herbjorg Wassmo and there is a reason why the original dialog is "my momma left me",Dina is after all like a child.The film simply emphasizes the same aspects as the book.The acting is not at all bad,Maria Bonnevie is simply great,intense and embodies the exact spirit of the wild gray-eyed flamboyant teen.An 18-year-old woman with eyes as old as stones.If you have the opportunity to watch it I strongly recommend you do because it can change your perception on life.You find yourself asking do the people around me exist or is the world full of insipid people who I should look through? Dina's character is simply magnetic and you can't help not being attracted to her and hating those who get to be around her while you can't.I especially enjoyed the scenes where she plays the cello,seeing her hold it between her thighs,seeing her possess it like she does with everything from her horses to men.And some of the most enjoyable scenes are the ones where Dina is either in the presence of Lorch or Tomas,fascinating characters themselves each addicted to Dina in his own way.I loved this movie and I wouldn't recommend it if I wouldn't know you will too.

Tale of the North

[bob998 · 7/10 · 16 September 2006]

A powerful story, made weaker by excessive length and too many characters. Some of the secondary characters could have been eliminated to make the plot flow more smoothly. Having said this, I was tremendously impressed by Maria Bonnevie in the title role. Her face is florid, sensual, expressive of lust, sorrow and all the other emotions in this often violent woman's life. Mads Mikkelson as the grafting, unscrupulous Niels gives the other fine performance; his suicide takes all the life out of the story.

Gérard Depardieu and Christopher Eccleston were added to the cast for star power, I suppose, but they don't mix well with the other players. Eccleston's character--Zhukovsky the anarchist--is just a jumble of historical clichés we can't become involved with.

A silly, confused waste of wonderful scenery and out-of-place actors

[ajmelck · 2/10 · 7 April 2009]

Faced with the prospect of a Norwegian film in English with a plethora of international actors, I should have seen the warning signs. For one, people speaking accented English to convey the sense of a foreign language has always annoyed me ("Zose are ze fekts, mein fuhrer!").

This film isn't perhaps quite that awful, but the plot appears to have been written by the committee for Silly Twists together with the Fjord Tourist Board.

Equally, the style of the film is all over the place: a smörgåsbord of genre-dipping ranging from horror and ghost-tale to melodrama, costume drama, sub-Ibsenesque family saga, Bergman-lite and god knows what else.

Together these result in an utterly confusing accretion of episodes that usually end in death, or haunting, or both, but no clear directorial stance on how see either.

What I'm missing is any kind of moral, aesthetic or conceptual centre. We must remember that the woman upon whom the film centres is responsible for several deaths, at least one of the premeditated. But is she mad? Is she hallucinating? Is she simply dreaming? Which brings us to the central character. Personally I'm all in favour of strong female roles but the one that this film serves up is a completely anachronistic projection of modern modes of behaviour onto a time where a woman would not have been able to do what Dina does without getting shut up in a nunnery or a madhouse at the very least.

Shouldn't a film that shows a woman overcome adversity and male prejudice at least show some pretty effective adversity and male prejudice? For most of this film Dina rides roughshod over men and women alike (or unshod, depending upon the stable boy in question). It's as if her initial trauma is so overwhelming that the world simply makes way for her for the rest of her life. Fat chance.

Therefore I'd have to recommend any discerning viewer to give this portentous, confused example of the international co-production a miss.

Brilliant - if you like drama

[smccarthy-1 · 9/10 · 20 December 2004]

This movie is one of the best cast films I have ever seen.

The acting from Maria Bonnevie(Dina)is amazing. Totally realistic in a not-over-the-top way. The script is fantastic ("then my momma left me" - be aware that this film is primarily Norwegian with a mix of Danish/French/Swedish - not American - and is set in the 1860's). Supporting actors like Gerard Depardieu, Hans Matheson and Mads Mikkelsen really sets it off. And I don't know where they found the young-en to play the young Dina but she was perfect. To round it off you have breathtaking scenery and a brilliant soundtrack.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good drama.

You feel this movie, but you don't remember it

[jippy33 · 6/10 · 25 February 2002]

Unlike any other Norwegian movie (I am Dina is a co-production between Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France) I actually looked forward to this one. Unfortunately it lacks some spirit and some good acting. Marie Bonnevie has a troublesome Norwegian version of the English language, same with Anette Hoff and Jørgen Langhelle. On the other hand, Bjørn Floberg does a great job as Dina's father.

But the acting is ok throughout the movie, it has greater problems. First of all they focus to much on the original novel by Herbjørg Wassmo, witch leads to some pretty boring minutes of the feature.

But overall this is a nice little flick from a joker in the international film-industry. Great photography and directing made this an entertaining 120 minutes.

What a turkey

[Elvine · 1/10 · 30 January 2010]

I am Dina is completely incomprehensible. It lacks focus and direction and even though action good for at least ten feature films is pressed together at a little over two hours the story drags.

The over acting makes Daniel Day-Lewis pale in comparison. (Maria Bonnevie is not only beautiful, she can make her eyes go huge, too. And she can breathe heavily. These talents are never clearer than in her scenes against Björn Floberg, who behaves as though he acts in a completely different film. Maybe he new better than to listen to the director.) Confusion surrounding the accents is complete. If those speaking with a Norwegian accent are supposed to be speaking actual Norwegian, it's only logical that the man with the Russian accent is speaking Russian. And then it's strange that all Norwegians (and the British and the Danes and Swedes and French - who knew northern Norway was such a cosmopolitan place back in the 19th century) understand him.

What director Ole Bornedal wants to convey is a little unclear. Maybe that little girls who cook their mothers alive tend to act out as young adults?

Brilliant

[Lividmime · 9/10 · 6 August 2002]

This is a truly brilliant film. The storyline is fantastic; Herbjørg Wassmo is a very good author. The film is emotionally very strong, and some of the scenes are not for the faint hearted, but nevertheless it is worth seeing. The dialog is English, however most of the actors are not, it is evident that some of the actors are not used to using the English language in their line of work (not everybody goes to Hollywood) and therefore the accents are a bit off so to speak, but this does not make the film any less brilliant. It is my opinion that the actors have had the chance to show just how good they are at ACTING, rather than their ability to pronounce the English language. This is absolutely a film worth seeing, even if you're English and the actors are not!

Great Cinematography but the Sound Engineer should be Imprisoned.

[Wellenstock · 6/10 · 28 March 2024]

It was in English but I still wanted subtitles. What were those lines that were mumbled under very loud music. This left many unanswered questions but the wild intensity of both the child and adult Dina character kept it interesting and watchable.

The opening scene was amazing. Subsequent scenes were beautifully cinematic but some of the logistics of the story really didn't make a lot o sense. Why would you need to boil lye on a swimming pool scale? Maybe that's the way they did it in 1860 but they could try to explain it a little better. Why was the wife of the rich man working with the peasant workers?

The violence was brutal and may stay with you so be forewarned. Several other oddities occurred but I guess you can always fall back on mental illness from a traumatized childhood. The whole spy subplot made no sense but then again maybe I missed important dialog because of the incomprehensible soundtrack.

Like a second-rate Bronte's tale...

[rainking_es · 4/10 · 17 May 2008]

The story of a girl that caused the dead of his mother when she was a child. That will mark her whole life and her relationships. She lives obsessed by death.

"I am Dina" has a powerful and promising beginning, but as the story advances everything turns a little bit confusing. It looks like a second rate Bronte sisters tale, and it gets much worst as the ending approaches.

Not even that red-head beauty called Maria Bonnevie makes the movie a little more attractive. Boring (big time)

*My rate: 4/10

Excellent Film

[artem_k · 10/10 · 12 November 2004]

I feel I must disagree with the previous review of this film. The title of the move is, after all "I Am Dina," and not "We are the people who live and interact with Dina." The fact that the director of this film does not indulge in a more in-depth exploration of the supporting characters is to be expected, as the premise of the movie is that it allows us to witness the world through Dina's eyes, to see the effect other people have on her, and to a lesser extent, the effect she has on them. In this way, the movie is an astounding success. The masterfully crafted dialogue allows for the unique, if subordinate, personas of the supporting actors to shine through while not overpowering the focus of the story: an achingly real, beautiful woman who fights a personal struggle on both the internal and external fronts. This is certainly not a movie for every one. At times, it leaves one feeling as a guest in the imagination of the director as he reads an excellent book; as such the movie deserves an audience that is capable of being swept away by a story.

Beautiful setting, intense acting

[Milledk · 24 July 2002]

"I am Dina" has a lot of good actors. Many of them are not as familiar with the English language. That makes the acting a bit stiff. The main characters, however are doing fine. Dina is played with a lot of heart and passion. The story is true to the book, but tries to say too much in too little time. The depth is created by the actors, in each scene, not by the writers. The setting and the costumes are wonderfully balanced. There are not too many panoramic views and colorful costumes. Everything is carefully balanced, as to not steal focus from the intense acting. I´m especially impressed with Hans Matheson, who plays Tomas, the stableboy. The scenes with Tomas and Dina are very intense and powerful. There is an energy between them, that reaches all the way to the back rows of the theater

Horrible! I'm scarred for life!

[DarkCherub · 1/10 · 21 August 2004]

Doesn't contain any spoilers because there really isn't any plot I could possibly spoil! Well, what can I say? This has to be one of the worst, if not THE worst movie I have seen in my entire life, and I happen to go to the cinema a lot. It was one of those rare experiences when I actually wished I had a better cell phone in order to be able to distract myself from the total disaster that was happening on the (unfortunately way too big to ignore) screen (any game would have been better than that sorry excuse for a movie...barbie's dress contest, how to spell for 6 year olds...bring it on!). Alright, you're probably wondering what this film (and I'm using this word very loosely here) is about. Well, to be totally frank with you, that's a pretty damn good question. Let's see, uhm, there's this girl named Dina who hasn't got anything better to do than repeatedly utter the words "I am Dina" every 10 minutes or so in order to distract you from the very fact that there really is no plot at all except for the pretty dumb story of a 6 year old that accidently kills her mother and isn't able to cope with that incident. The following 100 minutes (which actually seem like half a century) are stretched to the very max with inane dialogue, boring talk about how men are the worst thing that ever happened to our precious mother earth and bear the weight of every single mistake known to mankind on their shoulders, sex scenes that wouldn't be half as bad if that actress playing Dina wouldn't be so incredibly ugly and scenes that show Dina herself getting away with one murder after another because she's been hit by her father once when she was young...(Hello? She killed her mother for god's sake...I for one would have made sure she never disgraced the face of this planet again) and therefore had a difficult childhood (you gotta admit that really is a justified reason for manslaughter...yeah right!). Other than that there is no concept behind "I Am Dina" whatsoever. Please, do yourself a favor and avoid this movie at all costs. No really, don't go see it, you'll only encourage them! Think about it this way: Would you pay someone for continuously bashing your skull against a steel plated wall, strapping you to a wheel and subsequently breaking all your bones, one after another? Me neither...and all of this doesn't even come close to the painful experience that is watching I Am Dina!

Awesome movie with the scent of European thinking

[jewel79 · 10/10 · 12 April 2005]

I think this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Images are beautiful and impressive, storyline is interesting and it has a fresh female voice. Not feminist or whatever, just in the spot there is a lady with heart and soul - and also self-conscious. This is not a Hollywood movie, but has th same quality. Sees things from a different angle. Worth to see it. The first part of the movie, when we see the child-Dina is quite shocking, maybe this is the reason why -in some countries - the film is rated. The second part - when we see Dina as an adult - is more like a Gothic story. It reminded me the French movie the Brotherhood of the Wolf. Maria Bonnevie is a really beautiful and talented actress, I hope we can see her in blockbusters, too.

Worst movie I have ever seen in my lifetime

[sound-31 · 1/10 · 6 August 2006]

I have no idea why this movie was ever made.The story is so bad that you wont believe it until you see it for yourself.The English language is extremely bad spoken.These actors use to be good (I am from Denmark) but the instructor Ole Bornedal made it possible to destroy their talent totally in this film.The music sucks.Ole Bornedal try to make a international film with actors from all over the world, but he did a very poor job.There's no soul in this movie.But the pictures of nature were nice, - maybe he could be used to make a tourist film from Norway. p.s. Ole Bornedal also made Nightwatch and I liked that one (danish version) Don't waste time on I am Dina.Its not worth it.

Emotional Blockbuster

[lprand · 10/10 · 13 September 2005]

I'm obsessed with this film. I've never seen it's equivalent in terms of sheer emotional intensity and the power of the acting,plot, scenery, everything. I'm very frustrated, because since I saw it at the Montreal film festival 2 or 3 years ago, I can find no trace of it in the USA. No DVD's, no local releases that I can find. I want to share this with all my friends. I particularly relate to Dina's fear of loss and abandonment, which fuels her frequent violent outbursts and influences all of her relationships. And her lover's final reassurance that he will leave her, but he will always come back to her. The only character (other than her tutor) who seemed able to both love and understand her, and who could potentially show her a way out of her tortured past. Her tutor's final letter to her was such a message of hope and love. I can't say enough about this film, I don't have the words. This film

Beautiful landscapes, but not much else...

[ataventure · 5/10 · 7 March 2010]

I decided to watch this film for two reasons: 1. I love Hans Matheson, and since his body of work is quite small, I thought I'd give this one a try. 2. There were a lot of positive reviews on IMDb.

Having spent two hours watching the movie, I'm a little shocked that the reviews are so positive! The film follows the life of Dina, a woman scarred for life after she accidentally kills her own mother. The film, which has no real plot, follows Dina through her life as she learns to appreciate music, has a whole lot of sex, disregards all other people, and is haunted by the ghosts of the various people she manages to kill.

The landscapes and cinematography are breath-taking, but that's where my love of the film comes to an end. No, I take that back. The various states of nudity are good too. Who knew I would be watching soft-core costume drama porn? Excellent. Really, though-the acting is overblown in its drama (watch for Niels practically dancing with a side of beef and Dina choking Lorch when he tries to leave). Dina is supposed to be someone for whom you feel sympathy because she's had a rough life, but in the end, I thought she was weird and scary and obsessive and not all that likable. I was pretty happy that Tomas found a nice normal girl to love at the end.

If you enjoy rambling dramas that have no clear plot-where the protagonist learns nothing about herself and the other characters are all waiting around to die, then you'll love this. If you're curious as to what Norway looks like-well, fast forward to the scenes that showcase it. It is pretty impressive. I'd love to visit sometime in the summer. But otherwise, skip this film. It isn't good.

Never blame the innocent or underestimate the girl power

[battiz · 8/10 · 5 January 2003]

Lovely little Norwegian girl Dina makes a tragic mistake and kills her own mother accidentally. Her father is devastated about mother's dead and starts to treat his own child like an animal. Dina gets serious trauma about all this and grows up with the personality that would scare most of us.

Her private teacher becomes the only one who she trusts, and the music he teaches becomes the best therapy. As Dina is beautiful and talented, rich and respected older man starts to lust her and asks Dina's father her hand. The repulsive father of course gives his blessing to this marriage, but the happy new husband has no idea who Dina really is and will soon regret his choice. Dina is not scared of anything, even death, and she becomes very dominant and seems to get whatever she pleases. The story is so dramatic and rough it sticks out from the mass.

I would not recommend this to those who can only digest popular easy movies.

This movie's sick and fantastic

[rkj · 27 March 2002]

First I was sick, then I was enthralled, in the end I was totally convinced that this is one movie worth seeing. I totally agree with other comments noting that the acting should have been kept in Norwegian, but alas, international budgets require international language.

But - but - the awkward phrases are soon forgotten when you're sucked into the powerful story of a psychotic Norwegian woman, battling with her past, the men around her and her own role in a very restricted provincial community. Dina is by no means the weakest woman potrayed on screen, rather her person will probably go over into film history as *the* strongest and most strong-willed female heroine ever in Scandinavian movie history.

The story's gaudy, vulgar, perverse and absolutely mesmerizing. I found myself hating this woman and yet feel very strongly for her. See it, and see if you agree with this uncompromising story.

A little strange and violent

[HotToastyRag · 5/10 · 3 August 2019]

As a child, a freak accident causes her mother's death, and Amanda Jean Kvaklan's father is stubborn in his grief. He blames her and has as little to do with the rest of her upbringing as possible. All grown up, Maria Bonnevie is more than a bit unhinged and unnaturally interested in death. She's very unconventional, and some of the people around her don't approve of her behavior, while her father, Bjørn Floberg, remains detached.

Gérard Depardieu, a friend of her father's, asks for her hand in marriage, but Maria refuses, declaring him an "old fogie." When her father slaps her, she responds by headbutting him and doing far more damage than he did to her. She's a free spirit and a force to reckon with. In the very next scene, she strangles a childhood friend. This is not a likable character, and these scenes set the tone for an odd, violent movie. This is a Norwegian movie, so if you've seen Norwegian cinema, you know they can get a little weird.

When Maria is finally wed to Gérard, it's a bit of a tragic scene. She doesn't love him and she's incapable of realizing that he used to be younger and still has the heart of a young man. He loves her and tries to be tender with her, but she knees him in the groin, insults him, and humiliates him in front of his family and friends. He's not in the entire movie, and he's replaced by other love interests. Just as in real life, romance doesn't always help a person grow, and Maria has to travel her journey by learning from life experiences, not just by falling in love. This isn't a horror movie, and it's not the scariest movie I've ever seen, but it is a little strange, so prepared if you decide to rent it.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting scenes involving a child, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

Emotionally strong drama you will not forget.

[experten · 8/10 · 2 September 2003]

I am Dina is intended for mature people. If you like drama and if you like too see strong scenes, odd people and good actors in a movie that does not resemble anything from Hollywood, or any other movie for that matter, then you should watch this movie.

The acting is very good throughout. The fact that the dialogue is in english and the actors are not english native speaking does not matter, unless you are a sissy.

The norwegian landscape is very dramatic and the photography is absolutely breathtaking. Usually I do not even comment on the photography, because I think the story is more important, but the photography in I am Dina is really impressing.

This is a movie you will not forget.

Rating: 8 / 10, according to the IMDb rating system of course. If the ending would have been as strong as the beginning (really strong) my rating would have been even higher. Why do people here invent their own rating systems?