Love is one part of Dag Johan Haugerud’s award-winning romantic-drama trilogy –Sex, Dreams, Love. The order in which you watch the films doesn’t matter, and indeed, they are being released in a different order in different countries. Love is the first of the three to be released in the USA – in other countries, it has been the last to be released.

Marianne (Andrea Bræin Hovig) and Tor (Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen) work respectively as a doctor and a nurse in a hospital urology clinic specialising in prostate cancer in Oslo, Norway. They have a very honest, down-to-earth relationship, both as co-workers and with their patients. Both of them question societal norms regarding romantic love. On the advice of her friend Heidi (Marte Engebrigtsen), Marianne goes on a date with handsome geologist Ole (Thomas Gullestad). She likes him, but a romance with him could be complicated by his needy young daughter and his erratic ex-wife, who lives next door to him. One night, on a commuter passenger ferry to one of Oslo’s islands, Marianne bumps into Tor, who explains to her how he cruises, and sometimes hooks up with, men he meets on Grindr whilst going back and forth on the ferry. Marianne hadn’t heard of cruising before. The casual no-strings opportunities for sex intrigue her, as does polyamory, and she ends up having her own casual fling with a sexy carpenter (Morten Svartveit) she fucks outside in the port one night. Heidi doesn’t approve. Tor, meanwhile, meets Bjorn (Lars Jacob Holm) on Grindr, a handsome psychotherapist who also commutes on the ferry. The two men chat about sex, but nothing physically happens. After the initial meeting, they see each other around and matters reach a head when Bjorn is admitted onto Tor’s ward as a prostate cancer patient.

In Love, writer/director Dag Johan Haugerud has taken a very gentle route to make his point. The themes of love, intimacy and relationships are examined on a personal basis with what’s right for each individual prevailing, without the boundaries of outside, peer or society pressure. It’s an interesting study. How would society look if everyone just did as they felt best regarding love, intimacy and relationships. What is true human gut instinct in these areas? It would be a varied, complex picture for sure. Haugerud has made the dialogue the prime focus of the film – the cinematography, costumes and settings all play second fiddle to the messaging. Sometimes the conversations feel unnecessarily detailed and mundane, and at two hours long, your patience may be tested, but then it becomes clear that the complexities of the heart lie within our normal day-to-day lives, and that’s what he’s showing. We end up becoming very invested in the characters and wish them well. Honest, refreshing film-making that would also make a good drama series.

The trilogy is due to be released  soon on VOD for details chcek  https://strandreleasing.com/films/love/