Every scene is kissed with irony, the characters all seem believably flawed, the narrative unfolds with just the right storytelling panache and everything else about the production seems right.

Those willing to overlook its emotional grandstanding will find much to admire and even more to think about in this Oscar-nominated Danish drama.

Uma obra de intensa carga emocional.

Bier [is] the latest in a long line of filmmakers who have mastered the art of making movies about people we can all thank God we’re not.

Lovely, dense and surprising.

The portent of [director] Bier’s unyielding vision may turn some viewers off, but she has the extraordinarily moving story to warrant the self-conscious artiness.

Helene, caught like Jacob between lives, spends much of the film trying to explicate choices that now look only wrong.

One of the more interesting themes of this movie is the question of which is more important to a cause, the man or the money.

There are certainly some big emotional moments here that vibrate with emotional intensity, but they always stop short of sheer theatrics, and it doesn't feel like any of them are unearned.

A shrewdly constructed narrative and strong lead performances make up for much -- including Bier's irritating penchant for shoving her handheld camera in her cast's faces.