Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.0 |
| Video |  | 5.0 |
| Audio | | 5.0 |
| Extras | | 4.0 |
| Overall |  | 4.5 |
Norway Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 19, 2022
2014’s “Norway” is a vampire movie, but it lacks a whole “creatures of the night” atmosphere. It’s a Greek production from writer/director Yannis
Veslemes (making his feature-length helming debut), who tries to do something different when it comes to the appetites of a bloodsucker on the
prowl. “Norway” is short (75 minutes), but there’s not a lot of content in the picture to begin with, as Veslemes trusts in the power of atmosphere to
carry the viewing experience, bathing the endeavor in big colors, heavy sounds, and strange encounters, offering a film that’s not especially rattling
overall, but works in small moments of weirdness and pure cinematic power.
Arriving in Athens is Zano (Vangelis Mourikis), an aged vampire looking for a good time in the city, on the hunt for “warm” women. Waiting for his
connection to contact him, Zano hits the clubs, dancing from encounter to encounter, checking out the feeding options. He meets Alice (Alexia
Kaltsiki) during his tour, and she provides companionship, ultimately offering Zano a “special job” if he follows her to a secret location, with the pair
joined by Peter (Daniel Bolda), who’s recently been transformed into a bloodsucker.
Veslemes doesn’t have much money to make “Norway,” forcing him to get creative with his ideas. The picture opens with Zano on a train, but
instead of paying for the real thing, Veslemes photographs a model speeding down a track. There are a few more touches like this in the film,
adding a sense of playful unreality to a feature that’s working to create a fantasy space for its characters, who are different than others, but try to
blend in with the crowds. Veslemes also works with cinematographer Hristos Karamanis to introduce as much color as possible while visiting evening
locations and dark clubs, playing with hues as the participants bleed blue and yellow blood, also hanging around interestingly lit rooms.
“Norway” has a lot of technical hustle as Veslemes tries to make something mysterious out of the material. Story-wise, there’s not a lot here to
devour, with most of the movie examining Zano’s experiences meeting other vampires and warm-blooded humans, sucking dry a sex worker right
away. With Alice, a mystery arrives, as the strange woman offers a mission for Zano, inspiring him to follow her into the wild, where they dance,
dance some more, and have sex while trying to keep track of Peter. Dramatically, “Norway” isn’t much, but performances are committed to the
cause, with Mourikis especially enjoyable as the lead vampire, delivering habitual boogie while exploring the character’s obsessions, which lead him
into danger.
Norway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The AVC encoded image (2.44:1 aspect ratio) presentation deals with a movie that's in love with color, using hues exceptionally well during the viewing
experience. There's yellow and blue blood, hot neon lighting, and various costumes worth studying, along with natural skintones. Detail is equally
interesting, offering textured skin surfaces for weathered characters. Clothing is fibrous, and model work is examined closely. Delineation is satisfactory.
Norway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers an immersive sense of music, with electropop soundtrack selections often heavy and circular, keep surrounds active.
Dialogue exchanges are sharp, capturing muttered interplay and club conversations. Low-end explores travel movement and louder beats, and
atmospherics secure the mysterious details of the picture's journey through multiple environments.
Norway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Commentary features writer/director Yannis Veslemes.
- Interview (21:09, HD) is a chat with writer/director Yannis Veslemes.
- Behind the Scenes (29:58, HD) includes footage of the production in motion, assembling shots for "Norway."
- Still Gallery (2:12) collects BTS snaps from the "Norway" shoot.
- Music Video (2:31, HD) presents a dancing clip from the film.
- And a Teaser (1:01, HD) and an International Trailer (1:42, HD) are included.
Norway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
"Norway" does have a destination, but the journey there isn't always compelling, getting lost in abstract ideas and first film flexing. Veslemes tends to
keep viewers at arm's length until the final moments of the feature, which denies dramatic intensity, but he makes a very handsome picture about an
unusual predator, highlighting some imaginative moviemaking along the way.
