After The Help, which was shown on 14 January, The Big Cheese Film Club has found another corker – nominated for an Oscar in 2001, in the Best Foreign film category, this Norwegian film portrays two middle-aged, cognitively challenged men who team up to live as roommates in urban Oslo. Somehow, their odd, symbiotic relationship allows them to cope with the day-to-day challenges of independent living even though their methods might be peculiar; the results are frequently hilarious and sometimes inspirational.
When his mother, who has sheltered him for his entire forty years, dies, Elling, a sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution. He soon meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and female-obsessed virgin in his forties. The men are released after two years and provided with a state-funded apartment and stipend with the hope they will be able to live on their own. Initially, the simple act of going around the corner for groceries is a challenge. Through a friendship born of desperate dependence, the skittish Elling and the boisterous, would-be lover of women, Kjell Bjarne, discover they can not only survive on the outside, they can thrive. However as their courage grows, the two develop oddball ways to cope with society, striking up the most peculiar friendships in the most unlikely places.
This is definitely one of Norway’s best films and one, of only a few, to be internationally recognized. The movie is based upon the author, Ingvar Ambjørnsen, who himself suffered from depression and mental illness. Despite this, his books have a deep heartfelt warmth and humour that shines throughout his writings. This film manages to carry his writing over to the screen in a commanding way.
A touching, funny film that will stay with you for as long as memories last.
