Elling (2001)

This Norwegian comedy (nominated for an Academy Award®) concerns two men being released from a state home. Until the death of his mother, Elling rarely left the apartment where they lived; Kjell has lived in institutions most of his life and is obsessed with sex, as any virgin in his 30s might be. Thanks to a new social program, the two roommates are given an apartment in Oslo--if they can manage to live independently. At first simply answering the phone or buying groceries is a struggle, but as they taste freedom, their lives become an exciting adventure. In a Hollywood movie, these two would be cute goofballs; what makes Elling so very engaging is how genuinely awkward and uncomfortable Elling and Kjell are. Their difficulties in the world are treated with respect and realism, which makes their progress bracing and their success delightful. A charming film. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com

Love this movie.

We saw this one on IFC once and I was hooked. Elling reminds me of Woody Allen, which is a good thing in my world.

Anyway I loved this film. It's worth watching. If you can, buy it.

November 27, 2008

Two Flew out of the Cuckoo's Nest

"Elling" is another brilliant film I discovered in the ranks of movies nominated for the Oscar for Best Freign Language film. This one is very good and we catch on quickly that it is a comedy. The initial conversation between two new roommates in a mental hospital tells us that we are going to enjoy following these characters. The film's possibilities expand when the two roommates are moved to a subsidized apartment in Oslo. They have a fairly streetwise social worker who looks after them from time to time but Elling and his roommate are pretty much on their own. The paranoia and inappropriate conversations all create a wide range of comic situations. However, the real source of comic endearment is that these two characters are the Norwegian version of Felix and Oscar from "The Odd Couple". They are exact opposites having to live together yet befriending each other in a way that give the comedy a happy and endearing tone. This is a joyful film that gave me a lot more than I expected.
November 2, 2008

Glad I am single

Sweet story of two delightful man. Have to been Norwegian to understnd how real they truly are. August 31, 2008

My favorite movie? It's possible

I generally don't give five-star reviews to movies, although you'd never know that from my recent reviews. My wife just happened to choose a mighty fine line-up.

And yet, this one is the best of those five-star movies. It's very funny and it examines some very serious themes. You can read the other reviewers for more on that. I'll just say that, if you sat down to write a movie, this is what you'd hope you were able to produce. And you'd probably fail. I'm a novelist myself, and I wish I could write a movie like this. Or a novel like this, since it's based on a novel.
April 9, 2008

Elling

Warm, original, hilarious film consistently delights and surprises, thanks to a pair of deliciously drawn oddballs. Elling and Kjell make the characters from "The Odd Couple" look like well-adjusted identical twins. Yet the film never strains too hard to be zany, and leavens the humor so we actually care about the characters as people. A quirky, winning comedy. July 19, 2007

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