22 July

Based on true events, 22 July explores the 2011 Norway attacks and the degree to which it affects several characters – including (and especially) the perpetrator himself (Anders Danielsen Lie’s Anders Behring Breivik) and one of the victims (Jonas Strand Gravli’s Viljar Hanssen). Filmmaker Paul Greengrass, working from his own screenplay, kicks 22 July off with an often unbearably tense opening sequence revolving entirely around the aforementioned attacks, with the effectiveness of this stretch heightened by Greengrass’ documentary-like sensibilities and the strong roster of central and periphery characters. (And it doesn’t hurt, certainly, that Lie and Hanssen deliver engrossing, electrifying work here.) The movie, past that point, transforms into an exceedingly deliberate and low-key character study detailing Hanssen’s efforts at recovering from the horrifying tragedy and Breivik’s exploits within Norway’s legal system, and it’s clear, certainly, that the jarring shift paves the way for a hit-and-miss midsection rife with overlong, padded-out sequences (ie the 143 minute running time is fairly absurd, ultimately). There’s little doubt, however, that 22 July eventually does progress into a closing half hour that packs far more powerful and emotional a punch than one might’ve anticipated, which finally cements the picture’s place as a thoroughly erratic endeavor that could (and should) have been so much better (and more consistent).

*** out of ****