Rosenberg (2013) User Reviews

Powerful...connected to me

[aaroninsweden · 8/10 · 23 December 2014]

As an American living in Sweden, the film resonated with me on several levels. With a Jewish background and having played trumpet for many years, I was able to sympathize for the main character. As disturbing as I found the first half of the film (surely intentional), the second half brought me right back into the character's true psyche with great empathy.

You are led to feel contempt and disgust for the main character in the first half. However, once his story is revealed, you cannot help but swing your opinion.

The alley scene with the Swede bumping into "David", is something all Americans here in Stockholm experience, and are often disturbed by. It was a nice touch as it is a regular occurrence in our lives.

The brilliant direction and cinematography led to a powerfully moving film.

Rosenberg for everyone

[elisenesma · 10/10 · 22 February 2015]

This little film hits very close to home for some of us. I can relate to it on so many levels. Everything about it is great. It is real, interesting, funny, upsetting, innovative and well acted. It accurately depicted countries, cultures and religions I know well.

Would recommend it to anyone and really do look forward to seeing it again as I can imagine finding more details in the next go around.

Many thanks to Fredric Reshew and Jeffrey Glickman for pulling this off with such a light touch. Just the right amount of everything. I sincerely look forward to whatever comes next from these two filmmakers.

Made me cry

[mia-lixu · 10/10 · 8 June 2014]

This is an exceedingly deep and clever short movie. The opening is reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece "Wild Strawberries", opening with a nightmare.

The title character, a New York Jew named Rosenberg who lives in Sweden, is a timid, cowardly drunkard. Weak, yet fascinating. He tries to hide from his worries and makes himself even unhappier. The story leads the viewer to the discovery of how Rosenberg came to be this way, and how he can find the will to change.

Rosenberg wrestles with his responsibility to his wife and children, and is stuck in his childhood, his personal tragedy, pain brought to the fore by the perceived discrimination around him. He is out of place in Sweden, and is this not of his own design?

This movie shows hope grow out of pain, how there are moments of joy in a sad life that grow into a chance at redemption. Remembrance of music brings Rosenberg to a friendship with an expatriate instrument store owner. Remembrance of religion brings him to a friendship with a rabbi. And remembrance of his parents brings him back to his wife.

It's a very moving story, exploring the life of a flawed man, who's been through more than most of us.