At one point in Maria Sodahl's brilliant play "Hope", which concerns a woman experiencing the onset of the disease diagnosed as terminal, a doctor is "peeling an onion" as a treatment for cancer. Describes. The same can be said for the film. Although the medical basis of the story is quickly announced, human beings follow layer after layer of realities, which science cannot describe, with shock and disorientation initially provoking the diagnosis and deeper realization and Through the understanding one gradually encounters the woman, her partner, their children, friends and extended family. This carefully unveiled discovery presents "Hope" for Norway's best international feature film Oscar of the year, one of the richest and most rewarding contemporary dramas of the year.
The story comes from writer / director Sodahl's own life. Several years ago, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, stopping abruptly for a promising career. Apparently, she not only survived, but used that breakdown in her life to look back at the experience and what it taught her about herself and her close relationships. The real-life premise helps give "Hope" a wonderful aura of authenticity that extends to its smallest emotional details. It is also no doubt a nod to the lyric notes of suspense and humor that add to the artistic power of Sodahl's accomplishments as a writer and director, and his work with two exceptional actors, Andrea Brin Höwig and Stalin Skarsgård.
Set around Christmas and New Year holidays, "Hope" examines the relationship of the two successful creative types. Anja (Hovig) is an acclaimed choreographer who has just returned from her first overseas success when her doctors give bad news: Although she survived a year ago from lung cancer, she now has a brain tumor. This is certain for the terminal, he pointed out, although it may still be operational (next week will be crowded with tests and consultations with doctors). While the diagnosis surprises and annoys Anja, it leaves her partner, theater director Tomás (Skarsgard) stunned, in a frozen, mistrustful silence.
The unmarried couple supervise a group of six children until the mid-ten-twenties: the older three are from their previous marriage, the younger three from their union. Among the film's accomplishments, at least Sodahl's way of cleverly describing these young people is what makes them personally distinctive and yet part of a credible family structure. They are paramount in Anja's concerns when he begins to act on the doctor's news. Even when she is affected by the effects of drugs, which make her both high and unstable, she begins to question the question of who will take care of the children when they lose their mother.
More pressure is still the dilemma of when and how to tell them the news. This time last year, he came to know that he had lung cancer but the doctors were hopeful to treat him. This year, the news offers very little room for hope. If she is forthcoming, she half jokes, will it ruin Christmas forever for these children?
In peeling away the layers of Anja's concern for children, and her aging father, who is visiting, Sodahl lays at the heart of this emotional distress: the relationship between Anja and Tomas. The more we learn it, the brittle it seems. At one point, she reveals that she was on the verge of leaving him a year ago, only to be stopped by a previous cancer diagnosis. Told that she may have only a few months left to live, she now looks forward to examining her bond with Tomas to find out what is true, what is false. Have they been loyal to each other, or not? She confesses to love the man she did not pursue. Tomas sheepishly confessed to "flying" a long time ago, but his real rival was his job.
This seems to be the most accurate diagnosis of how deep this association is, and the blame is clearly not on its side alone. Both partners have allowed careers and children to distance themselves from each other, to the point that their lives are ending together, with each dissatisfied yet unable to express or overcome that unhappiness. But now a seemingly incurable disease forces them to confront their deepest feelings for each other, and to ask if they are the real love behind what they are loving.
In some ways, "Hope" calls for recalling Bergmann's marital plays, such as "Scenes from a Marriage", but Sodahl's touch is entirely light. Her pleasing natural style, inspired by Manuel Alberto Claro's beautifully fitted cinematography, gives scenes and moments to breathe, allowing viewers to absorb the textures and tastes, moods and rituals of Anuja and the spacious Tomas apartment Is, with its never-ending flow. People, Food, and Silence. Above all, his directorial prowess saw the power of two of the most notable performances in a film this year.
To be sure, cancer may not seem like an inviting cinematic theme, especially for families and individuals who like this author - it has sometimes been faced with heavy tests. Yet the impact of "Hope" is disappointing; This is strong evidence of the ability of the art of resting to make it clear. For my money, this is a better film than a Scandinavian comedy that is destined to win this year's international feature Oscar. But for Thomas Winterberg's "One More Round", there is the advantage of having one by and about "by the boys", while Sodahl's triumph is a more forward-looking story - the ascent of the prolific female auteurs. It should not be missed.
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