(Hold My Heart)
2002

February 28, 2003
San Jose Cinequest
Norway
Norwegian
92 minutes

If Someone Stole Your Daughter, Would You Steal Her Back? -- Hold My Heart.

Notes:...well-dressed executive type is told by his ex-wife that his seven-year-old daughter is too sick to attend his mother's funeral...he buys a card to tell her about it and tries to deliver it to her school...she gets scared and begins screaming and he ends up covering her mouth and carrying her to his car...he begins driving before he thinks about what he is doing...his plan is to have a holiday with her...his ex-wife accuses him of incest and battery...the cops begin chase...he is befriended by a truck driver with three daughters of his own who understands the bond between father and daughter...we are supposed to wonder if the guy's intentions are good or if he is the monster we'ver heard about...after about 1/2 hour of seeing them together, its obvious that he is a doting father and nothing more...so the stress level is not great...we don't think any harm will come to her...there is a scene where the daughter is showering and we see her naked backside from a distance...it was a bit out of place...it didn't exactly sexualize the girl, but it makes us uncomfortable--will the guy finally crack and become his pedophilic self?...she asks him to wash her hair and she gets in the shower with him...He gets out crying, but is it because he doesn't want to be misunderstood?...the ex-wife is a bit of a bitch and there is a dining room table speech by the surviving grandma that is too informational to be truthful...there is really never a doubt how this is going to play out...

Having said all that, it ended up being one of my favorites of the festival. It may have been a bit male-centric, as the wife had few redeeming qualities and the man was compassionate and misunderstood. It was beautifully shot and funny and the girl was an absolute doll.