Open Hearts(Elsker dig for evigt)

TV Guide Magazine by

In the film's most audacious break with the ultra-realism of the Dogme program, Bier inserts grainy visualizations of what Cecilie wishes for at a given moment -- a caress from the paralyzed Joachim, or a wave goodbye -- directly into the action.

L.A. Weekly by Ella Taylor

A very good new Dogme by Danish director Susanne Bier, begins with several lives in excellent working order, and proceeds by way of domestic tragedy to a full-court emotional train wreck.

Austin Chronicle by Kimberley Jones

The Dogme pedigree rarely distracts; there is too much emotional investment to care much about dogmatic fidelity.

Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum

Well-made film. Indeed, discovering such a small pleasure is the kind of experience that rewards film lovers who browse with open eyes as well as hearts.

New York Post by Lou Lumenick

Less Spartan than some films shot under the Dogma "vow of chastity" (there's actually a little music), but it's raw enough to complement the very real emotions on display.

Village Voice by Michael Atkinson

However schematic, the movie percolates with immediacy and genuine warmth.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer by Sean Axmaker

While the characters lack the quirks and affectations that have enlivened the impulsive figures from past Dogme films, the passion of the players and Bier's sensitive direction give these utterly normal figures a vivid aliveness, along with dignity and everyday beauty.

Portland Oregonian by Shawn Levy

Although the plot might sound like the stuff of a soap opera, a smart script, strong performances and an ideologically determined lack of filmmaking niceties result in a shattering, deeply felt work.

Philadelphia Inquirer by Steven Rea

Bier knows what she's doing, and the performances are expert and affecting. But this meditation on love -- and love's bad timing -- is also improbably accommodating to its characters' respective longings.

Boston Globe by Ty Burr

Open Hearts, like all good melodramas, is ruthless in its insistence that people are dragged, uncomprehending, in the wake of events.