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Review - Elling
Elling is a popular 2002 Norwegian comedy written by Ingvar Ambjornsen and Axel Hellstenius and directed by Petter Naess. A big audience favourite at film festivals and nominated for an Oscar, this is a darkly funny and sweet, heartwarming comedy about two dysfunctional friends who get a chance at flat sharing in Oslo. Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) has lived all his life under the protection of his mother, but when she dies, he is institutionalised (hiding in a cupboard doesn't quite prevent the inevitable). He meets fellow society misfit, Kjelle Barne (Sven Nordin), a hulk who eats continually and obsesses about women.
The transition from cupboard dwelling to flat sharing happens in the first few minutes of the film, so this isn't exactly 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' - rather we settle down to wonder how the two friends are going to cope with their attempts at living as 'normal' a life as conceivable.
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Motivated by the threats of Frank (Jorgen Langhelle), possibly the worst social worker in Norway, our two heroes set about mastering the every day tasks of answering the telephone, visiting the local cafe, buying groceries and trying to find a girlfriend for Kjelle Barne. There is no specified diagnosis of either condition, but clearly Elling is suffering from agoraphobia and Kjell from a severe social anxiety disorder. What they have in common is they only have each other to rely upon.
When his friend meets upstairs flatmate Reidun (Marit Pia Jacobsen), pregnant and in a drunken stupor on the stairs outside the flat, its love at first sight for the chronically shy Kjell Barne. Can Elling put aside his fear of being left alone, and help his friend find love? Of course, because this film is about friendship. The writing is excellent, with the dialogue providing the majority of the humour, and we are always engaged and especially fearful of what might happen to Elling. We needn't worry too much though, as each of the pals finds an unexpected talent that will sustain them. If you ever wondered what might happen to Raoul Duke from 'Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas' after a particularly nasty dose of cold turkey, then look no further than our eponymous hero. No wonder then that this was an audience favourite once again, when it was screened at the 2010 Leeds International Film Festival.
Rating : 8/10 Tender Comedy
Review written by John Franklin : November 2010
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