Elling
2002 Directed by Petter Næss
Synopsis
When his mother, who has sheltered him his entire 40 years, dies, Elling, a sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and female-obsessed virgin in his 40s. After two years, the men are released and provided with a state-funded apartment and stipend with the hope they will be able to live on their own.
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comédia fodastica! rolei de rir!
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comédia fodastica! rolei de rir!
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2013
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Shouldn't work nearly as well as it does. The actors, as the odd couple Elling and Kjell Bjarne, are both outstanding, and it's a testiment to the performance that Elling - who's actually a pretty unlikeable guy if you think about it - is turned into such a loveable character. A truly sweet, and thankfully schmaltz-free, little wonder.
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Sweet, charming and endearing Norwegian comedy about 2 Forty something's (Elling and Kjell Bjarne), equipped with few social skills, who are released back into the community after spending time in a state institution.
Elling has been compared to the 'Odd Couple' as it's about 2 men of different character sharing an apartment. However, that is where the comparisons end.
Elling is a gentler, more uplifting comedy as neither Elling nor Kjell Bjarne has the intellect, wit or cynicism of a Felix Ungar or an Oscar Madison.
Elling and Kjell Bjarne really are the most naive of couple's and life's daily routine, however simple, presents them with their greatest challenges - that for me is where the charm of this film lies.
Elling earns an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and comes highly recommended.
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A funny little feel good story about two social introverts trying to fit in to normal society. Per Christian Ellefsen plays the role of Elling so well that I thought he actually was found in a closet mere weeks earlier.
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I watched this on a lark while I was managing a video store and I absolutely loved it. Per Christian Ellefsen is hilarious as the title character and just....just watch it. Maybe it's the Norwegian tongue or the predicaments these characters find themselves in, but I laughed throughout.
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Decided to keep going with my 2001 theme and streamed Elling, a Norwegian nominee for Foreign Language Film. It's a variation on The Odd Couple, but in this case the two guys are brought together as mentally challenged patients who are discharged to try living together in an apartment. It's a nice little movie and I rather enjoyed it, but I can easily see why No Man's Land bested it. I felt that the story was too paint-by-numbers, and could have taken more chances. In fairness, though, it was based upon a novel so perhaps there wasn't much room for such things (though for all I know, they gutted the source material).