Funny and authentic, Elling is one of those movies that will touch your very soul. With an intelligent script and engaging storytelling, it just flows off the screen with its steady pacing. When reviewing these beautiful Scandinavian movies a double category drama/comedy is a must. It astonishes me to see just how far have those countries gone forward when it comes to almost every aspect of life. Even the way the movies are made suggests that they’ve figured out something that the rest of us are still waiting to discover. Like proper government and education, but more importantly: the correct system of values.
Elling tells the story of people who are having trouble living their lives in our society. Quirky is the word I will not use, but in today’s world of cinema, they sure look like a quirky couple up to some mischiefs. This is that marketing approach, but the greatest thing of all is that you can be both entertained and still be philosophical about the whole thing. Heart-warming and incredibly smart, Elling is one of those movies that just stays with you and that you instantly recommend to your friends. Like me now. It provides a perfect break and refuge from big and commercial Hollywood movies.
Elling has led quite a quiet life for almost forty years. His mother sheltered his fragile personality as best as she could, but she passed away, Elling is sent to a state institution. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle guy in his forties who’s still a virgin. The two form a friendship and after two years they are ready to start living independently. Or are they?
I think I would just bore you with all the little things that I loved about Elling, so I will just recommend you to see it for yourself. It’s just so fucking refreshing that you will instantly look for more similar movies. First of all, you could check out Turn Me On, Goddammit, O’Horten, Hawaii, Oslo, and In Order of Disappearance. Then you can move on to Flickering Lights, Adam’s Apples, and finally Riders of Justice, starring Mads Mikkelsen. Of course, each and every one of these recommendations will branch off in a different direction. So, in the end, you might end up in a place you least expected.
Elling will show you, as best as it can, how it is to be a bit different. How it is to be afraid to go to the store for groceries or carry out a conversation. Maybe next time when you see someone acting this way, you won’t think what a douchebag, but poor guy, he must be having problems. And here lies the solution to almost all of the problems in our society, we forgot how to be humans…
Director: Petter Næss
Writer: Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Axel Hellstenius, Larry Stuckey
Cast: Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin, Marit Pia Jacobsen, Jørgen Langhelle, Per Christensen
Fun Facts: Sven Nordin gained 25 pounds to fit the character he was playing.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279064/
