Sorry, this movie sucks

Perfect cast and a good story

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

A friend recommended this movie to me to get a glimpse of what modern life is like in Scotland. After watching it, I must say I wouldn't give the same recommendation. Very little of the movie has much to do with Scotland (probably because it was made by Norwegians, according to other posts) and the part it did show wasn't particularly flattering. It mostly left me wondering just how rampant gangs of clean-cut hooligans really are in Scotland.The title "Aberdeen" is a throwaway too. Yes, it's the final destination for the father/daughter combination, but virtually all of the movie takes place elsewhere. However, I was at a loss to suggest a better title. "Redemption" or "Reconciliation" are just as vague and even more bland.Several elements peg "Aberdeen" squarely as a foreign movie. First, there is a lot more nudity (both sexual and non-sexual) than a similar American movie would warrant. Second, the pacing is much slower than many Americans have the patience for. Finally, the ending has such a wrinkle that I felt relieved that I hadn't wasted a night watching this thing. I include this as a foreign element only because there had to be a reason for importing this movie here, outside of appeasing Stellan Skaarsgard fans.I won't reveal anything about the ending, since the surprise of it was the entire reason I enjoyed this movie. Had I already known what was coming, I probably would have enjoyed the acting and character development, but mostly felt like I wasted a night watching a really slow movie.

I came upon this film by accident while scouting for Charlotte Rampling films. Ms. Rampling is only in a few scenes, but I was so mesmerized by the rest of the cast that it didn't matter. Someone said that Stellan Skarsgård is "the best actor ever". I can't attest to that since I'm learning via films like this that we don't see the best there is if we don't scour art houses. He does, however, give a performance that would be considered Oscar worthy had the film been more mainstream (i.e. if it had been seen by more people). Skarsgård's acting is unflinching, from inside the character, and technique free. We need to see more of him in lead roles.The entire cast is excellent. So much of the story is told without words - a towel wrapped around a waist instead of covering breasts, a man secretly observing his daughter's pain, a lover's halting, wordless goodbye, characters' emotions playing subtly across their faces. The story is wrenching.And in another break from mainstream films, everything isn't tied up neatly in a bow at the end - we are not told what happened "ever after" to these characters. We can decide for ourselves what comes next. We are treated like adults, not told what to think, not overly indulged with explication, not bashed over the head with morals or lessons. Just a study of the dynamics of a family who love each other desperately and who each show it in their own damaged way.Excellent film.

Aberdeen is a unique piece, with an interesting soundtrack, PERFECT acting, and an outstanding plot. As mentioned earlier, it's so very European with its realism. Slow, but rewarding. Also, I think Stellan Skarsgård is the best actor ever! Not just this movie, but his other stuff as well. Especially Insomnia and this one. He's just brilliant. I've also seen his son on Ondskan, so I'll simply try to watch every movie that has anything to do with the Skarsgård family from now on! I can only think of Rutger Hauer who might be as good as him. Lena Headey is also adorable. She's got goddess looks, and the best of acting skills. Such great actors and a nice story makes Aberdeen a wonderful movie. Aberdeen is nothing like a Hollywood movie, but despite what it seems, neither is it exactly one of those movies which are crowned by intellectual-wannabes as masterpieces just because they're boring as hell. If you like Tarkovsky or Klimov, you'll dislike this movie. If you like Hollywood, you'll hate this movie. (And it'll hate you too!) If you weren't disgusted by the superficiality of Love Actually, you'll be disgusted by the depth of this movie. But if you're interested in the works of relatively new generation Scandinavian directors, then Aberdeen will look fine to you. All in all, it could have been much better with, say, Lars Von Trier, but it's also pretty darn good as it is. 8.5/10 - Recommended!

This is a typical example of the difference between European and American film. Real people doing real things reacting like real people do. I'm little bit tired of these Hollywood "feel-good films", there the ugly and shy guy always ends up with the love of his life, which always is the most beautiful girl in the world.Fantastic performance from all the actors and a touching story, makes this a film I strongly recommend.