Instintos Diabólicos

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.

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.

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.

"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

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.