ThurstonHunger Inspired by Lars von Trier's "The Idiots" to come up with a kinder, gentler film and a chance for Gerard Depardieu's stunt double to get a starring role.....um.....no.I actually thought the earlier review and "The Odd Couple" reference is pretty spot on. And as that spawned a TV show, apparently this comes as part of a trilogy. That kind of surprised me.The film will not surprise so much, but if you let yourself not worry about the diabetes of your soul and enjoy the treacle, it works just fine. I watched the first maybe 2/3 the night before, and for whatever reason was thinking more about adults in such situations, woke up and then accepting these dramatic devices to portray some simple cinematypes (uptight outcast who must accept himself and others pitted next to the heart-of-gold headless hoss-hunk) and sure you root for them knowing that, unlike in life, their happiness is guaranteed, and they will find a way in the world.I did enjoy the professor/poet introduction much more than the hoss-hunk's heroine.And the message that pretty much all people feel like outcasts who don't fit in, but plenty of us (well maybe not me, so plenty of you) find a way somehow is reassuring.

Laura Hein A simple film of simple people with simple intentions, Elling (2001), a Petter Naess film, portrays a pair finding their way through the welfare state of Norway. An authentic focus on the lives of these two men with mental illness grabs sympathy from the audience as they watch the everyday struggles of Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) and Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin). After living the majority of his life with his mother, her unexpected death cripples Elling and his psyche, and we see Elling being forced out of a closet he had been hiding in by the Norway welfare people for his own good will. Elling meets his roommate, Kjell Bjarne who obsesses over the sexy stories Elling tells him. Eventually, the pair find themselves living in a big city welfare apartment provided for them by the Norwegian government. It is here that they build a relationship with their social worker, Frank Asli (Jorgen Langhelle) as they try living day to day life.The topic of mental illness is central to this film, as the two main characters had the Norwegian government intervene in their lives because they were unsuitable to live on their own. Naess chooses to not include the actual diagnoses of each character because he felt that including a clinical diagnosis for each character would dehumanize them. This choice is extremely effective in translating a very likable nature behind the pair no matter their psychological differences. Although, Naess had good intentions of making the two very likable in spite of their mental illness, it also may translate to the audience that all people with mental illness are such simple, good natured, likable people that must be taken care of by their respective state governments. Nonetheless, the simplicity of these two characters definitely grab at the audiences' heartstrings.The character of Elling is a staunch Labour Party supporter and Gro Harlem Brundtland enthusiast which is a major theme throughout the film. Once the unlikely pair move into their government housing, Elling insists on putting an almost angelic photograph of Gro Harlem Brundtland (a major supporter of the welfare state in Norway) in a prominent spot on their dining area wall. Elling has idealized Gro Harlem Brundtland so much that he constantly reads about her and almost substitutes her for his mother and for those who are taking care of him. Such strong support by Elling for this Party can be seen in political disagreements that he has with his new friends at a cabin where he truly believes everything the Labour Party has done is right and true. The viewer may question if Elling clung to this idealism once he could no longer cling to his mother… What seems to draw Elling out of his neurotic rut is the opportunity for new friendship and even family. Kjell Bjarne, no matter how different he is in personality, and Elling demonstrate their friendship when giving each other gifts on Christmas. They both pick something that is truly perfectly inherent to the others personality and this moment is one of the most meaningful and precious of the entire movie, granted Kjell's present was a nude woman on a watch! Elling and Kjell Bjarne provide each other with exactly what each other needs to balance out, which seems to be why the pair is so successful in living on their own and really creating their own family.For such a simple pair of characters, Naess provides a simple amount of locations for scenes. A large amount of the film takes place in the government provided housing that Elling is afraid to leave. Once Elling begins to shed some of his anxieties, we see both Elling and Kjell Bjarne in different places with different people such as a poetry house, cabin, or friends' apartment. Simple cinematic techniques are used as well to compliment the simple characters. The use of voice-over provides extra detail if needed that may not be interpreted from a scene. Besides this technique, there seems to be no flashy devices like those in Hollywood that catch a viewers' attention. But rather, the viewer is able to focus on the characters and their likability and simplistic nature.The film, Elling (2001), is an uplifting story with authentic characters that develop through being forced into the "real world" essentially. There are no hidden things to get from this film, as it is upfront and simple and only wants to provide the story of an unlikely pair coming together to form their own family.

Bene Cumb Increase in wealth, individualism and related alienation increases the number of those financially capable of coping without socialisation - provided this situation is maintained. But in the event of change, they are unprepared to continue on their own. In rich countries like Norway, there are special services for those people, and the film in question deals with 2 of them: Elling and Kjell Bjarne, who - after obtaining an apartment in Oslo and "guarded" by a social worker - they must prove they can get out into the real world and lead "normal" lives. Beginning is tough, creating numerous comic and crazy situations, but with the help of other people with the same lonely background, they find things and values in common and all their lives change radically. The film is warmhearted, accentuating basic human values and arguing that every person has his/her place under the sun - as "normality" is a wide and differently perceived concept. The cast is also great, both the protagonists and supporting actors, leading with Per Christian Ellefsen as Elling.The film got an Academy Award nomination, but it is still not widely known. Perhaps the title is uninviting for wider distribution and recognition.

Maddie Wood Never having seen a Norwegian film I am happy that Elling could be the first movie I saw. From beginning to end this was a heart-warming film that forced you to look not only at the characters lives but also at your own life.In the beginning of the film we learn that Elling is a mamma's boy who for his whole life has lived with her and would do anything for her. We also find out that she has recently died and when this happened his life fell apart and he was taken by the Norwegian government to a mental institution. At the mental institution is where the beautiful story about friendship begins. He is placed in a room with a man named Kjell, they are complete opposites; Kjell is obsessed with women, sex and food while Elling is more serious and to himself. But, like the old saying goes opposites attract and for Kjell and Elling this is exactly what happened. They are soon released from the hospital and transferred to an apartment where they are looked after by a social worker named Frank. Frank has given them one rule, to take care of themselves or be sent back to the institution. The time in the apartment is where their true friendship grows. Being forced to live on their own they realize that true friendship is being able to rely on each other and care for one another. The first act of caring for one another comes when they move their beds into one room, they decide they can't live by themselves so they rearrange the apartment. As they both settle in Kjell is faster in learning to live on his own while Elling is more reserved and can't seem to want to leave the apartment; this is seen in the tragic scene of the grocery store where Elling gets so nervous he can't go in and he has a break down outside of the store. However, as the movie goes on they each find their passion for living. Elling realizes that he loves poetry and decides to start going to poetry readings where he meets a new friend Alfonso, and it is then he realizes he has a greater purpose in life than being stuck in the apartment. Kjell falls in love with a women, Reduin, in the building and learns to work through a relationship as well as get back to his roots as a mechanic. Through the ups and downs of learning to go their own ways the viewer sees the themes of friendship, family and determination come forth in the different scenes. The idea of family comes forth during the first Christmas when Kjell builds the house and puts candy pieces as him and Elling, it also comes in the last scene as Kjell starts his family with Reduin and the new baby. The theme of friendship is at the heart of this movie, the fact that friends appear in every circumstance which teaches them that friendships are essential to ones life. Finally, determination is seen throughout the movie through building relationships, careers and most importantly taking on life's challenges and learning from them. What I love about this movie is that it teaches us that it is not to late to start living our lives the way we want to, that no matter where we are we need to hold on to our dreams and never give up on life or on our friendships. This movie was not only entertaining but inspiring. Not only did it allow the story to play out for itself and not force its themes upon the viewer, it didn't try to force the touching moments between friends nor did it try to exaggerate the reality of living with a mental disorder, it just let the story come to life on its own and play out the way that was going to be most beneficial to everyone involved. This movie showed how you can become a new person while staying true to who you are and where you came from. The characters learned that everything happens for a reason and that life passes on to new things; what they once might have thought of as bad turned out to be good and gave them a new purpose in life. Overall, the movie was a breath of fresh air from most Hollywood films produced today. It was a heartwarming story about two friends who without each other may not have been able to have a second chance at a normal life, but through friendship, courage and trust they were able to move on together and form a new life, one that made them cherish the moments that they had together as well as finding the drive to succeed in the things that they loved to do.