Sam Weisner Hawaii, Oslo is a frantic jumble of energy and movement that finally coalesces into something giant, magnetic, and powerful. A 2004 co-creation from director Erik Poppe and writer Harald Rosenløw-Eeg, this film shares ties with the popular American movie Crash of the same year, in which lives forcefully intersect and bond. It weaves a tale of the human experience, certainly, but it also attempts to define the human connection – a lengthy endeavor, especially for the broken relationships we find scattered throughout this boiling capitol city. Character development is huge; it is clear that Poppe strives for audience connection and empathy, but viewers might find it hard to follow the plot's incessant cuts if they only watch Hawaii, Oslo once.The film speaks about love, fate, and family constantly, with these thematic elements connecting each set of characters through the plot breaks. Transitions are composed of kaleidoscopic waves of color and a sort of tingling, wavy sound – I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this, but perhaps it is Poppe's way of visually exploring the abstract blend of events that brings his characters together. After all, the effect is pretty cool – cool enough to be featured as the film's cover art, at least. Continuing with the artistic elements of Hawaii, Oslo, there were two colors in particular that stood out in almost every shot: red, and blue. We see red in Mikkel's spray paint, the floral shirts, and the gun bag; and we see blue in almost everyone's clothes and on Leon's wave-covered walls, among other things. The film's title exploits this contrast, too, by placing geographical opposites side-by-side. And Norway is usually cold, but the day that the film depicts is one of sweltering heat – bringing back images of red and blue. Finally, we see these colors together in the ambulance siren, the ultimate harbinger of both birth and death.I see fate as one of the main driving forces of this movie – there is a lot of predestination and foreshadowing going on, but the whole film revolves around the reversal of a major event: Leon's death. Poppe keeps these devices subtle – most are only noticeable during the second or third viewing. For example, Leon feels nervous about meeting his girlfriend Åsa the next day and so he asks Vidar, "Can't you just take my place tomorrow?" Of course, Vidar does end up taking Leon's place when he surrenders to the ambulance hit, but it is usually the guardian angel himself who does the predicting. Another such instance can be seen when Frode, father of the dying infant, tells his banker that being refused a loan to secure his child's survival feels much like getting robbed – of course, a few scenes later, he is literally a victim of Trygve's bank heist. But in the end the money finds its way back to the well-intentioned Frode.Life and death are placed on a delicate balance, as Leon and Jim-Aaron, the newborn, are fated to die on their birthdays, but life wins out for both. There are other clear-cut moments of contrast and reversal – the mail-girl's delivery of a death notice ends up saving Bobbie's life, for example, and there's the perpetual duality of escape versus acceptance: Leon always runs, even when he finally reunites with Åsa, and Trygve's attempt to escape to Hawaii ends with his arrest in an identically named Norwegian café. I was shocked when I realized how many of these sorts of situations appear throughout Hawaii, Oslo. It is truly a testament to Poppe's skill as a storyteller and his curiosity as someone concerned with the intricacies of destiny.I didn't quite understand Vidar's only false prediction that plagued the first half of the film, which was that Åsa wouldn't show up for Leon's birthday. Perhaps this was Vidar's underestimation of true love – it's hard to say. But one thing seems certain: everyone in the film got what they deserved, except Vidar. Bobbi is reunited with her sons, Leon and Åsa are left to lead a happy life together, Trygve is sent back to the slammer, and (we hope) the newborn survives. I just keep asking myself, Was it Vidar's heaven-sent duty to protect Leon, and to bring all these people together at the film's close? To me, the collection of people that gathered around Vidar's crumpled body symbolize Hawaii itself – a grouping of individual islands and stories, ultimately finding themselves connected on a grander scale.

Bret Mann Within the happenings of a twenty-four hour time period, the saying "what a small world" is perfectly captured by director Erik Poppe in this multi award winning film, Hawii, Oslo. The Norwegian film released in 2004 delivers a thrilling plot with a mix of people crossing each other's paths one way or another. Amongst multitude of events all happening during the sweltering hot 24-hours in Oslo, Poppe utilizes various creative filming techniques and intense, emotion-triggering music to make the viewer remember this day they watch on screen forever.We are introduced to Leon, a man living in an institution, waiting hopefully on his birthday for the arrival of Asa, the lady he promised to marry ten years back. While waiting for her arrival, Leon's brother, in prison for armed robbery, is allowed to go visit and celebrate the day with Leon. Though the prison puts trust in him to visit Leon, he has a secret plan to rob a bank and flee with his brother. As Asa makes her way to reunite with Leon she comes across two young boys, Magne and Mikkel, extremely lost in the world while processing their father's death and about to be separated by the foster care system, who steal her purse. Asa catches Magne, the younger of the two boys, and comes to find the disaster of an apartment and poor conditions the boys have been living in. A little later in the film, the boys' mother, whom recently attempted suicide, appears at the father's funeral because of the notice Magnus leaves her. We also encounter Frode, Milla, and their newborn son Aaron, who has a serious heart defect in need of an expensive surgery. Frode holds on to hope, as Milla has lost hers,and goes on a desperate search for 900,000 kroner to pay for a surgery. Frode unexpectedly crosses paths in a bank with Leon's brother and later in a park with Leon, ending up with the stolen money from Leon's brother's robbery. As extremely chaotic each of the characters lives unravels, each of them interacts with Vidar, a worker at the institution where Leon stays. While Vidar can foresee future events through the dreams he has, he is given insight into each of the people's lives we are following. While conflicted about whether what he knows is a part of reality or just a dream, he runs around Oslo attempting to save the people that might be in danger.From parts of the movie being filmed using a hand-held camera technique to the raw close-up shots on the faces of the actors during moments of pure intensity and emotion, Poppe flawlessly instills the emotion being portrayed on screen within the audience members. The hand-held camera shots made me feels as if I was one with the event occurring on the screen. The close-up shots during extremely important events, from the reunion of Leon and Asa to the tragic death at the end, allow us to relate to the scene as if we were standing right there with the actors. Both of these techniques utilized by Poppe create such an important connection between the film and audience members.To further reflect the emotions shown on screen into the viewers, purposefully selected music complements the climaxes of many scenes. The music takes the place of much of the verbal exchange that would otherwise occur between characters. The replaced verbal interaction by music ultimately causes the thoughts of the actors up to interpretation by the audience member. The music sets up a certain mood that correlates perfectly with the scene that may not have been able to be achieved by solely verbal interaction between characters.With help of the camera techniques and music throughout Hawaii, Oslo, we see the character struggle to accept, uncover, and understand their various realities, as well as the search for the true meaning of sacrifice and acceptance. The way each character deals with either sacrifice or acceptance within the reality they are facing make the viewer realize the complexity of each situation that occurs on screen. While living in complete truth and acceptance of ones reality may seems easy, we are able to see and experience the struggle it really takes through the characters in Hawaii, Oslo.Among the multitude of incredible aspects Poppe's multiple award winning film, Hawaii, Oslo incorporates, the filming techniques to the intense character-audience connection are some of the most influential parts of the film. These aspects allow the chaotic day in Oslo to impact the viewer as if they were standing in the exact scene. Hawaii, Oslo is a film you will want to see, if not for the creatively constructed piece of art Poppe has put together, but to see how small a world could really be.

johno-21 I recently saw this film at a screening by the Desert Film Society in Palm Springs. I had wanted to see this at the 2005 Palm Springs International Film Festival where it had it's international debut outside of Norway but screenings were sold out so I was eager to see this as it had good reviews by those I know who saw it. Eric Poppe makes his directorial debut in this film. He had been a cameraman so experience in filming a movie was there but how was he going to direct this story and it's actors? Well this film had a wonderful cast of actors who although they may have not been individually great actors, collectively as an ensemble cast they played their parts with an authenticity that left the viewer as seeing these as real people not just screen characters. I like characters in a film and this has plenty. The implausibility of these stories weaving together is quickly forgotten and in place of the implausible is a wonderful story that you want to climb aboard and ride to it's conclusion. Poppe uses hand held cameras through this film's shooting so effectively that you forget that this is not a huge budget film with track and crane shots but a simple presentation that when effectively done presents the film in a straightforward manor that can be just as effective. No dependency on jerky movements and fast and stylistic camera movement but instead on honest presentation transcribed to film. The sound in this film is outstanding as well. Many films demand great acting performances to carry an other wise weak script. This film had good acting performances delivered from a balanced script. This is a psychological drama and a very good film and I would rate it a 8.0 of a possible 10 and highly recommend it.

snah999 I had heard good things about this film but didn't have too high hopes actually.I didn't even think the first half of the film was that good,but from there on and out it blew my mind!I actually caught myself sitting with an open mouth when the credits started rolling. In Norway we have an expression,the film is good for being a Norwegian film,but this film is just incredibly good.End of discussion!The acting,the mood,the music and the stories are just excellent.If this film don't win an Academy Award, I don't think a Norwegian film ever will.I hope this film will be released in countries outside Scandinavia,because it deserves a big audience.Another Scandinavian film you can compare with Hawaii,Oslo is the Swedish film Tic Tac,which also is a really good film.