Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

NateWatchesCoolMovies Far North is like a half whispered tale told round a campfire way out in the tundra, a tale that keeps the fire going while freezing your blood. I'm not sure if it's based on some Inuit parable or fable, but it certainly has the aura of such. There's a whole lot of land up there, and most likely centuries of stories just like this one, witnessed only by the wolves and the winter cold, as well as the few hard bitten inhabitants who call it home. Michelle Yeoh is Saiva, an outcast from her tribe after being deemed cursed by her shaman at birth, left to wander the expanse alone. Her only companion is a young girl (Michelle Krusiec) who she rescued from marauding soldiers as a baby, and has raised somewhat as a daughter. The two live an isolated existence, until Saiva finds half dead soldier Loki (Sean Bean) wandering the tundra, and reluctantly takes him in. That's where trouble begins, as he takes a liking to the young girl, a bond is formed, and another is soured and broken. There's a third act shocker that will have your skin crawling, a jarring act of violence, deception and betrayal that leaves us feeling as cold and cast out as Saiva, an existence which probably foretold such horrors years ago when the shaman gazed upon her face. It doesn't quite fit with the lyrical beauty and ambient pace that came before, but it's definitely an unforgettable way to end the story, and a reminder of humans and their capacity for darkness. Roaming caribou, miles of ice, wandering wolves, and the few humans who survive out there, perhaps affected by something deeper, something elemental that lives in the very air. Not a perfect film, but fascinating and quite unlike any other. Oh, and a warning: there are some graphic and suspiciously realistic scenes of animal violence.

alicecbr Of course, if you love Sean Bean like I do, you'd watch him in a travelogue, which (except for the horror in it) is all the script has going for it. The documentary that accompanies the DVD is as good as the movie. I still have many unanswered questions. Sean of course, has to show off his beautiful body, as I would too if I worked at it as hard as he does (e.g., in CASH, Lady Chatterly's Lover). And he's secure enough to first show up with a boil-filled, sore-filled face from exposure. Makes his recovery even more exciting. You at first think the mother's expulsion has to do with some hideous deformity, but she looks OK. It was only after reading the reviews that I understand that she just somehow ticked the shaman off, who knew nothing about self-fulfilling prophecies, obviously. The Russians are put into their old classic role as the bad guys (except for WWII). And of course, they are put to route by both the mother and Sean Bean. I would have loved more character development but the environment overshadows the people. YOu are shown the barbaric conditions they live in, where they are a meal or exposure away from death. We watch seals and reindeer being shot and butchered. So the latter scenes are not such a stretch. To be fair, the mother was given an invitation to go with the couple (spoiler), but she declines. Since we're given so little character exposition, it's difficult to figure out how the daughter could just leave her mother out there in the wilderness, when the scenes before show a lot of filial devotion. And he seems to be bereft of any thought but satiating his lust, nice guy that he is. Maybe with a name like Loki, we're supposed to think,"Well, he's not too bright. Maybe he's just completely unaware of the damage he's doing to this mother-daughter relationship." I'm glad I waited for the DVD, since the documentary showing all the danger and work of making this movie with its own gorgeous background, is superb. Especially, since you and I of this planet-killing species called homo sapiens, will soon not have such Polar beauty to experience other than in movies like these. How soon our species will follow, I won't bother to speculate.

artu_ue This is a dark slow ride film with minimal dialogue. Hard and brutal life, death, survival, escape from evils of society, clash of tradition and civilization are presented here in a not so violent way, but still mind crashing and a few disturbing scenes that will make some people hate this film.The cinematography is stunning. The arctic landscapes, low light, sounds of wilderness make it worthwhile to watch the film. The main actress Yeoh is perfect, the younger one Krusiec is good too, but Bean wasn't quite inspiring for some reason.If we put aside the fact that we definitely can't be sure where and when exactly this is supposed to have happened (and many of us do have doubts in it being realistic), then it's a lot easier to accept the film's unusual story and dive into it our own way It's a film you can only like or dislike. Shocking, whether in good or bad sense, so suit yourselves.

nathan-yeo Life in the barren north, is cruel and harsh, and so are the people that eek out an existence in this frozen hell-hole. Upon looking at the cover with MIchelle YEOH (luv-her) and Sean BEAN, and a young Asian actress named Michelle, I couldn't wait for the sex scene with the three of them. Bodies wrapped as one trying to fight off the cold. Well what does everybody want but no-one likes. Getting exactly what you want. I got it alright and wished i never saw it. Anyhoo the movie starts off with the lead character killing one of her sled dogs to make a hearty beefy stew. You then see the harsh existence and life out there. they pass a work camp. Finally an escapee from the work camp or deserter arrives. He brings with him the marvels of the modern world and jealously as the two pine for his affection. In the end your left speechless and no anyone who lives up there has to be crazy.