Apartament

The more we believe in love, the more it destroys us. But sometimes those happy moments are worth it, and we are willing to suffer or even betray someone close to us, or even destroy their life. And precisely because the majority of those who know how to love are capable of this, Alex did not seem like a negative character to me, but just someone who cannot figure out what is right or wrong and simply listens to their heart. In the film itself, it is sometimes a bit difficult to understand what is the present, what is the past, what is the later past, but once I understood how it all is, I just waited for it to turn out well, and the final scene at the airport with the song "Scientist" by Coldplay in the background is one of the most powerful romantic finishes I have ever seen. When I add the excellent performances of the main foursome (including the slightly light-hearted character of the friend), it comes out as an excellent and unforgettable film. (07.10.2005)

Diane Kruger isn’t yet a mature dramatic actress here, but she is really beautiful and with the aid of Josh Hartnett, Matthew Lillard and Rose Byrne, she gets by with her beauty, fragility and likability. Don’t be put off by the first boring hour, which only subtly lays out the cards on the table. In the second hour, Paul McGuigan mixed an excellent cocktail composed of a full range of the feelings of happy and unhappy love and emotionally escalated them to the maximum possible extent. And since he pulled that off not only by guiding the actors, but mainly through sophisticated editing and camerawork, he gets a gold medal from me. Don’t compare this film to the more accomplished works of Briana De Palma or Alfred Hitchcock – here we are in the shallower waters of entertainment for young people who either still believe in the great love of their lives or have already experienced it and are indelibly haunted by it. The ending, which with less care could have ruined the whole film, is ultimately the most beautiful in years. I cried like a baby and was transported to the clouds. P.S.: There are loads of films like this, but they have never worked so perfectly. (20.01.2005)

Yes, I am not a fan of romance either, but here I am shaking my head in disbelief at how complex and convoluted the film's script is, which fortunately makes logical sense. It's almost unbelievable that the writers themselves didn't get lost in it. Josh Hartnett, Diane Kruger, Rose Byrne, a great trio that will mess with your head. What's also surprising is that the film is entertaining and holds your attention from beginning to end. I’m giving it a full score for the touching ending. 90% (17.06.2015)

A not very typical romantic story (anyone who says this is a classic romantic story is lying) woven into a thriller and made with a generous dose of directorial talent. The structure of the script is quite weak, but never falls apart because you can understand the characters – everything works the way it should. To be honest, I was almost shocked at how good it is. (01.09.2010)

Beautiful cinematography, the brilliant atmosphere of Chicago in winter, and an exceptionally original screenplay. Those are the three biggest strengths of this accomplished romantic film, which unfortunately seems incredibly muddled in the first half. Given the context of the second half, it is relatively okay, but they could have put more effort into the construction of the opening scenes to make it easier for the audience to follow along. The female cast caught my attention, unlike Josh Hartnett. The romance is sincere and does not disrupt the often ambient atmosphere, and several scenes became very personal for me. A pleasant treat for a rainy Saturday afternoon. Not a very well-known film, but still above average in the romantic genre. (31.08.2006)