What's up with the handheld camera?

First of all, I liked this film a lot. The way it's build up and the underlying storytelling are very well done. I was put off by all the shaky handheld camera in the first half of the movie. That way of filming worked way better in the second half. First half could have used more steady shots. Felt amateurisch the first few shots. Of course it's just nitpicking, but I really would've been absorbed way earlier in if it weren't for those off-putting shaky shots.

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