the fresh films reviews

S I N C E   1 9 9 7










 

22 July (2018)

Director:
Paul Greengrass
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Drama
NORWEGIAN TITLE
22 July
RUNNING TIME
143 minutes
Producer:
Scott Rudin
Eli Bush
Gregory Goodman
Paul Greengrass
Screenwriter (based on a novel by Åsne Seierstad):
Paul Greengrass


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Anders Behring Breivik Anders Danielsen Lie ½
Geir Lippestad Jon Øigarden
Sveinn Are Hanssen Thorbjørn Harr ½
Viljar Hanssen Jonas Strand Gravli
Jens Stoltenberg Ola G. Furuseth ½
Inga Bejer Engh Ulrikke Hansen Døvigen
Torje Hanssen Isak Bakli Aglen

 

Review

Paul Greengrass sets out to make the definitive account of the 2011 terror attacks committed by a lone right-wing extremist in and around the Norwegian capital Oslo, but the director ultimately bites off more than he can chew. In the process of trying to be all-encompassing, the film becomes unfocused and loses depth. The problems start already in the first part of the film, which is dealing with the execution of the attacks themselves. Although well-made and to the point, the Utøya shootings are under-communicated and therefore come off as underwhelming in the film. Greengrass doesn't come close to recreating the terror and chaos in the same way that Erik Poppe did with his Utøya 22. juli earlier this year. And when the film settles into its main part, which is about the aftermath of the attacks, seen mainly from the perspective of one survivor and his family, 22 July becomes too much good intentions and too little pacing and character development. Watch Poppe's film instead.

Copyright © 30.12.2018 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

[BACK TO INDEX]

[HAVE YOUR SAY]