alferik

Saw it at the 38th Norwegian International Film Festival, city of Haugesund, late August 2010. It was screened twice there, both times in the largest auditorium - one which had been upgraded to state-of-the-art quality mere weeks before the festival (the Edda 1 auditorium).

The experience of seeing this film, even with all the expectations I had, was an utter thrill. I only give it 9 out of 10 to adjust for myself being transported to a state of exhilaration, and therefore perhaps losing some critical faculties in the process.

I love the first film and it's among the three or four movies I've seen the most times. I've dabbled a bit in the financial industry myself (top Norwegian fund management firm) and politics, and I paid quite a bit of attention to the global financial crisis that unspooled in October 2008 and onwards. Bail outs and credit swaps etc are handled extensively in Money Never Sleeps. Ironically, the city of Haugesund was one of only 8 municipalities in Norway (there are 430 municipalities in this country) to be hit by failed municipal investments in Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) - and it was the one that was the hardest hit of them all! So a bit ironic then that Money Never Sleeps was screened there first, for audiences in Norway (although with around 14.000 professional guests, including several international stars, the audience was perhaps not predominantly Norwegian).

The soundtrack to this film is excellent, the visual style is pure perfection and very stylish, and the throwbacks to the first film are an utter thrill (if you've seen the first film recently, or several times earlier, like myself, you will notice them all, and love them).

Of course, having been in politics and the financial industry, it's hard for me to tell how this movie experience will be for someone who knows little about either. But for them there's also the interpersonal drama, and a love story. At the top of that, what they learn from this film will be valuable, and a much better and valid introduction than just about anything else you'll come across.

I will recommend this film to everyone. And it is so strong and so relevant, that I believe that political strategists from both sides for the US midterm elections coming up this autumn, will have to find ways of dealing with it, and pitching it to work for their side, some way or the other. Mark my words: This is one movie that *will* be referenced to during the upcoming election season - and not only in America, even.

It is that relevant. As one fellow festival attendee remarked at the closing dinner of the festival though, the love story could perhaps been a bit stronger and more authentic. Judge for yourselves. Either way, it will be money well spent, and I doubt you'll regret your investment!

Lucyrybicka's review was excellent and said it all. Unfortunately, my laptop's touchpad is very sensitive, and it made me accidentally click "No" to the question whether Lucyrybicka's review was helpful to me or not - as I was trying to move the pointer across from screen right to the "Yes" button. So it should say 5 out 8 there, not 4 out of 8. Sorry about that.

I loved this film and it has both great scenes and a very tasteful use of soundtrack. I saw it on the last day of the NIFF (Norwegian International Film Festival) in a very state-of-the-art auditorium, meaning big screen, digital image, superb sound - and it was a delight to watch A real treat.

I agree: If you've ever been in love (experienced limerence), this movie will speak to you like almost no other.

Saw this one at the Norwegian International Film Festival in late August of 2009, even though it was originally released as far back as 2007.

I found it enjoyable and well-made. The acting was convincing. Scenes were appropriately set up to display the opulence the high society that the high school level young women belong to. It's by no means an expensive production, though - more on level with a regular TV-episode, it would seem.

Movie doesn't work as well as a thriller as it does as eye candy and as a social commentary of sorts, as regards the attitude of young and rich people. The setting is mediterranean, most likely Rome or its surrounding areas, but could just as well have been from, say, L.A.

Speaking of which, it kinda hearkens back to that Bret Easton Ellis novel made into a movie: "Less than Zero".

Nevermind Michael Bay's notoriety in social Hollywoodlife, never mind The Islands surprisingly uneventful opening weekend domestically in North America - The Island is a definite must-see at the movies (or at the very least buy on DVD).

I commend it first and foremost for a brilliant science-fiction story, that touches on real-life contemporary political eugenics-, stem cell research- and cloning issues. Although the movie demands a certain level of suspension of disbelief (notably as regards where any form of governmental/federal surveillance authority might have been, allowing such a large-scale business within a controversial branch to operate unethically and decidedly in severe penal code violation, in enormous facilities, without intervening), it provides a very interesting and stimulating contribution to the ongoing evolution of our thought-process as concerns these very substantial and literally vital political and cultural issues.

I certainly was also very fascinated by the very elaborate designs, incredible cinematography (something akin to Mr. & Mrs Smith), futuristic urban images to rival Bladerunner, Minority Report and The 5th Element (I'm serious!) and thoroughly intelligent, but not (thankfully) overly intellectualized and artsy screenplay.

The film to some extent also invokes associations to (the original) The Matrix, and several other seminal movies from later years. Again, this IS a must see. Difference between this film and many other big-budget futuristic and/or philosophical concept movies, is that it better than most balances well between too radical, contrived and grave future visions (The Matrix, Minority Report) on the one hand, and too ridiculous and theatrical (artsy) effort (5th Element and many more) on the other.

But heck, I'm an earthly male, I'm alive and kicking and I don't have (hopefully) too many intellectual hang-ups, so even the added bonus of seeing Scarlett Johansson looking better than ever before, would be enough to sell the movie to a relatively simple soul as myself. Thank you, Michael Bay - I appreciate your male chauvinist talents, so you can't be too bad! ;) Scarlett Johansson always looked very good, but in this movie she looks even better than Charlize Theron, and I've never noticed that before :) I could also identify well with both characters played by Ewan McGregor, and all other characters were very believable as well. Lots of great acting throughout, and Steve Buscemi provides comic relief as well as he ever has - which in my view says quite a lot! As it happens, I am not from North America, and the marketing where I live - Bergen, Norway - was neither confusing, bungled or too thin. I saw it in a packed auditorium in a screening commencing at about 23.00 (or 11 pm, if you may) - on a Sunday night! And I did not hear one single complaint from anyone on the way out, which is rather seldom as Norwegian audiences usually are about as critically minded as any audience, but I suspect that, as with War of the Worlds, people were to a great extent still too consumed by the emotional impact of the film (or just the sheer freaked-out-ness of having seen a somewhat realistic nightmare vision of a society in the not-too-distant future that embraces genetic engineering and cloning all out) to be all that chatty.

As for me, I was partly freaked out, partly thoroughly action-ridden and partly on cloud 9 - my head filled with blissful images of a Scarlett looking better than ever :) No wonder Woody Allen calls her his new big muse.

(Hey, why don't someone make a remake of Gone with the Wind, where Johansson can play Scarlett O'Hara? She'd be the best woman in the role ever, and she wouldn't even have to get accustomed to a new forename for the role... ;)

Filmed in the Norwegian oil capital of Stavanger, this movie became a big hit in Norway in very short time after theatrical release. Obviously, this is because the film struck a chord with the Norwegian audience. Judging by it's Imdb rating at the time of writing (7.3), the registered users who rated it at the herewith site also mostly enjoyed it.

Now, I never saw it in theatrical release, but borrowed a copy on VHS. I saw no antagonist in the movie. There was a protagonist though, and she was one of several cute girls in the movie - for what it's worth.

I was somewhat disappointed the first half hour or so, but then the film really picked up. (There is also a quite amusing scene in the first half hour, in a bar, which I also think will appeal to many film buffs. Watch it, and you'll know what I mean.. ). I do believe that having some knowledge of and experience with youth culture in south west coast Norway helps in getting all the comedic points and a good feel for the general ambience of the film. It wasn't only a hit in western Norway though, so surely there are more than just a few universal puns in there.

It's a movie about being young and not really having too much of a clue in life, whilst at the same time providing more serious pointers about relationships between people in general and between lovers, either new or established ones as such, more especially. But first and foremost it is a whacky feel-good comedy with a lot of slap stick humour, a touch of crazy comedy and some poignant dialogue. Bare with it for the first half hour, and there's a good chance you'll catch an infatuation with it too ! :)