Near Distance

Stoltenberg debuts with a stunning portrait of a strained mother-daughter relationship. Karin, an Oslo woman in her 50s, enjoys meeting men online and such moments of solitary peace­ as smoking cigarettes or drinking a glass of wine. Her daughter, Helene, is in her early 30s, and has just found out her husband is cheating. When Karin reaches out to comfort Helene, the gesture stuns each of the women. Their prickly interactions are rendered elegantly by Stoltenberg, especially during a weekend together in London, where Karin struggles to be emotionally present (“She wants to have a good relationship with Helene, she really does, but it’s as if they can’t agree on what a good relationship means”). In flashbacks, Karin reflects on her pattern of distancing herself from others, which stretches to her early years with Helene’s father. Karin’s contradictory emotional realities—at times harsh, at times gentle—are observed precisely and beautifully, and feel true to the complexities of real life. It’s a winner. (Jan.)