heleen-van-santen Norwegian director Sara Johnson's Vinterkyss (translated into Kissed By Winter) is the story of a woman, Victoria, who loses her son and then moves to a small town in Norway in an attempt to distance herself from her situation. The themes of guilt and responsibility play a central role in this film, with Victoria, who is a doctor, dealing with the guilt of not having recognized the symptoms of leukemia in her own child. The other protagonist Kai also has to deal with this issue when he unwittingly kills a possibly suicidal man with his snow plough. The ensuing investigation into this man's death kept me unsure whether to view this as a drama or a murder mystery up until the very end. That Vinterkyss never fully settles into a comfortable genre made it impossible to simply react in a standard way to a genre, thus keeping the film fresh. The different viewpoints from which the film can be viewed also makes this film good for multiple viewings; for example Victoria's romantic relationship with Kai, which is presented as a natural and healing connection between the two, could also be looked at from the abandoned husband's point of view, or from the point of view of the townspeople, making it an entirely different film each time. It is very difficult not to like both main characters, seeing as the portrayal of both Victoria by Annika Hallin and Kai by Kristoffer Joner is done with amazing charm and warmth. The sincere love of Kai for Victoria and Victoria's inability to resist such a sweet man even in her difficult circumstances endears them to the viewer and makes you root for them, forgetting that Victoria's home situation is not something she can leave behind and still needs to deal with. The strong difference in the warmly-coloured shots of Stockholm which are shown as flashbacks and of the bleaker-toned events in Norway somehow manages only to highlight the positive aspects of each opposite; the beautiful Norwegian winter landscape is set off perfectly by the earth tones of urban Stockholm. Contrary to what is expected of Norwegian nature visuals, the shots in Vinterkyss are kept very shallow; the horizon is never clearly visible which creates a hemmed in feeling. This claustrophobia could be seen as a metaphor for Victoria's state of mind and her location. Victoria herself is continually shot noticeably close to her background and distant from the viewer, supporting Victoria's feeling of being cornered in a situation with the only solution being to return home and deal with her grief, a solution which she resists for as long as possible. Finally, even though this film was a thoughtful and considerate emotional drama, what really made me love it were the occasional moments of down-to-earth humor. This was mainly portrayed by the two peeping little boys who see everything and know everything first, but charmingly seem to keep everyones secrets for them. Vinterkyss similarly bares everything in Victoria's grief process, but still retains its simple charm and sympathizes the viewer to the very human and imperfect experience of Victoria.

Aleksandra Czyzewska The title of the film functions as a metaphor, meaning a sudden encounter with loss, grief and affliction. Victoria, the protagonist, is the one who was "kissed by winter". She escapes from Stockholm and holes herself up somewhere in the north of Norway in order to forget about her past. Then, unexpectedly, she discovers that she is not the only one who has to deal with a personal tragedy.Victoria's past is always present in her mind. We learn about that not only from the flashbacks of her former life, but also from the little gestures she does. When she examines the back of a little boy, one can sense that she thinks of her own son. Later she repeats this gesture when she makes love to Kai. No matter what she does, Sune in always in her thoughts. Furthermore, many children present in the story signify the embodiment of her sense of guilt. Thanks to many close-ups of astounding Annika Hallin, one's overwhelming impression is of an almost tangible tragedy.Some of the characters seem to play a role of "a mirror", in which Victoria can see her own reflection. For example, Kai was also abandoned and accused of murder, though not explicitly responsible. Therefore he can explain her - knowing from his own experience - that guilt and responsibility are two different things. On the other hand, Darjosh's father appears a very strict and demanding parent, just like Victoria used to be. But is that enough to blame both of them for the deaths of their children? Apparently, none of the characters will ever recognise the entire truth about Darjosh's death. The crime investigation woven into the plot fails to directly name the responsible. Clearly, some issues are beyond the scope of morality and cannot be easily judged. This message is emphasised by the usage of the song "Hallelujah" repeated in the film twice and performed by the late Jeff Buckley, who himself died in similarly unexplainable circumstances.In order to get back to her normal life, Victoria has to accept the reality as it is. She also has to "unfreeze" her emotions and learn how to forgive. Sara Johnsen does a fantastic job, portraying her character's gradual change in a slow pace. This meditative and moving film leaves the door open for a little hope at the end.

Philip Anderson A well-done film from Norway, shot in many flashbacks and side-stories. It follows a bit on how many Norwegian films are made, with the slow pacing against the crisply cold northern Scandinavian snow. The tale concerns Victoria, a female doctor in a small country town in Norway. She is just fitting in, as a boy's body is found in the snow. An autopsy is called to find if the body was involved in foul play. The story of the dead boy - a Muslim refuge immigrant - falls in with a side storyline of Victoria. Victoria is continuously calls to her estranged husbands' home in Sweden to see how her potentially ill son is doing. Along the story path, different twists form as blame for the snow-found boy's death seems to point in different directions. Ultimately, along with the mystery, the film really tells several moral tales, primarily about parenting. The physician mother who pays little attention to her own son, a dead boy's father coming to terms with his own culture's attitudes, and a suspect who is a seemingly good father, but yet has his own intentions and well-being in mind first. The cultural differences of an American audience with life in Norway might seem stark by comparison, but is well portrayed. The film itself, in how the story is told, is a bit confusing at times, but does tie in neatly at the end. Some viewers might not be able to follow all the side-flashes and flashbacks, which could slow the ending's meaning, but overall, this is a film well worth viewing. In addition, "Wynterkiss" featured a Leonard Cohen penned song, "Hallelujah", hauntingly performed by the late Jeff Buckley.

shanfloyd There is no way of denying that "Vinterkyss" is one of the best foreign-language films I've ever seen. After its one-and-half hours, I sat astonished because I didn't expect such a strong film can be made from such a delicate and subtle theme. The movie deals with personal loss, grief and reactions to loss in different points of view. But it neither appreciates nor discards any one of them. It leaves it open for viewers' opinions, at the same time it leaves a social message too.A busy Swedish doctor, Victoria, goes to Norwegian countryside after her son's unexpected death, feeling partly responsible for it. There one day she finds the dead body of Darjosh, a young Muslim refugee and now the film contrasts the sense of loss and expressions of grief of Victoria, Darjosh's parents and Darjosh himself. All of their unexpected deeds and unjustified reactions in similar mental state are beautifully depicted in the film. The film becomes successful to hold a perpetual melancholy note without being too much sentimental, perhaps the artistic use of white snow as a throughout background and the beautiful theme song help that.The film compels us to question some the actions taken by the people who suffer from guilt or loss. The character Kai here analyzes the difference between guilt and responsibility, in that way providing a reason to accept positive things in life even after a trauma. "Vinterkyss" is not only about description of grief and loss, it's about hope too... though none of the three points of view i.e. Victoria's, Darjosh's and his parents', could have it. And for that matter it should always be said that Sara Johnsen has perhaps created a truly great film.