LOVE -- The Slow-Paced Tenderness of Modern Romance and Connection

Review by Camden Ferrell

This year, Norwegian writer and director Dag Johan Haugerud is attempting something very ambitious. He is releasing a trilogy of films that is currently being dubbed as The Oslo Trilogy. This first of the trilogy being released is Love. This movie had its premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. This movie is a tender portrait of romance and connection in modern day Oslo, and it handles its themes with maturity, delicacy, and humanity.
 
In Oslo, Marianne is a physician, and Tor is the nurse who works with her. After an encounter together on a ferry where they discuss the ways in which they seek and receive intimacy, and it sparks something in both of their respective lives. The movie is less concerned with plot and more fascinated with the minutiae of modern dating and romance as its characters, sometimes aimlessly, seek pleasure and love in their own unique ways. It’s an interesting character study that uses contemporary attitudes about sex and love to truly explore its characters.
 
Written by Haugerud, the movie excels most when he allows himself to write, almost as if on autopilot. He is able to write in depth conversations about his main themes but in a way that is accessible, realistic, and insightful. Much like other similar movies that came before it, the movie is at its best when he gives his characters and more importantly their dialogue room to breathe. Its meandering nature is exactly what makes this such a compelling watch. Now for all of its merits, I will say that the one main flaw with this movie is that there are some scenes where the discussions aren’t particularly compelling compared to what came before, and it slightly spoils the flow of the final product. 

The movie is led by Andrea Bræin Hovig and Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen who play Marianne and Tor, respectively. They both are excellent in their roles, and while they have good chemistry together, most of their scenes are with other people. Their dynamic is an interesting one that I wish was explored a little more, but I still found their chemistry with the rest of the ensemble authentic and engaging. They handle their long unbroken scenes with ease and bring natural energy to the scene without sacrificing the depth of the movie’s themes.
 
Cecilie Semec does a great job as the movie’s cinematographer. The movie is shot in a way that makes the most use of its long takes while also understanding how to make the most of a minimalist vision. It showcases Norway in a subtle yet beautiful way to really illustrate not just the times but the location of its story. It’s a delicate job done that perfectly matches the emotions of its story. It’s simple, but it’s also undeniably reserved and tender.
 
Love is a great project that gives me hope in the rest of the trilogy this summer. It may remind me of many great movies that came before, but it also feels wholly unique in no small part due to its cast, location, and visuals. If you surrender yourself to the director’s meticulous and slow pacing, you will likely find yourself enthralled with the characters and the sneaking ways in which love and romance reveal their complexity.
 
Love is in theaters May 16.
 
Rating: 4/5