The Quake

The sequel to a Norwegian disaster film. Kristian is a geologist. Years ago he foresaw the wave caused by a landslide and warned a town; many people died that night and he has not recovered since. He lives apart from his family. Then something happens in a tunnel in Oslo and a former colleague dies. Kristian goes through the man's notes and sees a pattern: the fault under the city is moving. Nobody listens. There is not enough data for a warning and his own past weakens his credibility. The first half is built on that effort to convince and on his relations with his family. In the second the earthquake arrives and the narrative narrows to a single building. It is a large production by Norwegian standards; extensive effects work was done for the destruction and the sequence in the tower. Kristoffer Joner plays Kristian and Ane Dahl Torp his wife. John Andreas Andersen directed. A measured example within its genre, strong on character, for anyone who likes disaster films. For a viewer expecting continuous action, the film gives its first half to preparation.