A poetic yet simple tale of an inner journey

Rating: 10/10 (31 August 2005)

OK, it sounds really cheesy, but the movie made such a great an impression on me that I decided for the first time ever to leave a review on IMDb. Just saw the movie and I am under the spell. So simple and yet so powerful. It is actually hard to put a finger on what makes this movie so unique. If you summarize the plot it doesn't sound that impressive: a guy returning to his hometown after many years of absence tries to reconcile with his family, fight the inner demons and find love. Sounds a bit trivial, no? But the movie is captivating from the very first shots. Somehow the director (I really have to check this guys out!) managed to keep the story so fresh, so honest, so authentic, that it leaves you breathless. You feel like you live through those few days that the main character spends in the town yourself. Unbelievable soundtrack - captivating, haunting, especially the first song by Coldplay. Amazing performances by the lead actors contribute to the wholesomeness of the picture (have to add, though, that Portman's character annoyed me a bit in the beginning).