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This Norwegian comedy (nominated for an Academy Award®) concerns two men being released from a state home. Until the death of his mother, Elling rarely left the apartment where they lived; Kjell has lived in institutions most of his life and is obsessed with sex, as any virgin in his 30s might be. Thanks to a new social program, the two roommates are given an apartment in Oslo--if they can manage to live independently. At first simply answering the phone or buying groceries is a struggle, but as they taste freedom, their lives become an exciting adventure. In a Hollywood movie, these two would be cute goofballs; what makes Elling so very engaging is how genuinely awkward and uncomfortable Elling and Kjell are. Their difficulties in the world are treated with respect and realism, which makes their progress bracing and their success delightful. A charming film. --Bret Fetzer
Review
There have probably been too many films made about lovable crazies turned loose on the world, but Petter Naess' Elling is still a refreshingly good-natured comedy-drama about two mental patients trying to adjust to life in the outside world. Naess and screenwriter Axel Hellstenius adapted the script from Hellstenius' play, which was itself adapted from Ingvar Ambjornsen's best-selling Norwegian novel. Per Christian Ellefsen, who plays the extremely phobic title character, and Sven Nordin, who plays Kjell Bjarne, Elling's roommate, and resembles a hulking Scandinavian version of Grard Depardieu, both played their parts on-stage. Their long-term familiarity with the characters and material may be what gives their performances and the relationship between their characters such a warm, lived-in feel. At times, Elling and Kjell threaten to become a bit too cute and cuddly (one can imagine Robin Williams playing Elling in the Hollywood remake), but Naess and Hellstenius leave them with just enough rough edges to suspend belief. They're aided by Ellefsen's appropriately brittle performance (particularly in his inappropriately possessive feelings toward those he cares about) and by Nordin, who tempers Kjell's gruff likeability by allowing us to see glimpses of a violent rage simmering beneath the surface. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
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This Norwegian comedy (nominated for an Academy Award®) concerns two men being released from a state home. Until the death of his mother, Elling rarely left the apartment where they lived; Kjell has lived in institutions most of his life and is obsessed with sex, as any virgin in his 30s might be. Thanks to a new social program, the two roommates are given an apartment in Oslo--if they can manage to live independently. At first simply answering the phone or buying groceries is a struggle, but as they taste freedom, their lives become an exciting adventure. In a Hollywood movie, these two would be cute goofballs; what makes Elling so very engaging is how genuinely awkward and uncomfortable Elling and Kjell are. Their difficulties in the world are treated with respect and realism, which makes their progress bracing and their success delightful. A charming film. --Bret Fetzer
Review
There have probably been too many films made about lovable crazies turned loose on the world, but Petter Naess' Elling is still a refreshingly good-natured comedy-drama about two mental patients trying to adjust to life in the outside world. Naess and screenwriter Axel Hellstenius adapted the script from Hellstenius' play, which was itself adapted from Ingvar Ambjornsen's best-selling Norwegian novel. Per Christian Ellefsen, who plays the extremely phobic title character, and Sven Nordin, who plays Kjell Bjarne, Elling's roommate, and resembles a hulking Scandinavian version of Grard Depardieu, both played their parts on-stage. Their long-term familiarity with the characters and material may be what gives their performances and the relationship between their characters such a warm, lived-in feel. At times, Elling and Kjell threaten to become a bit too cute and cuddly (one can imagine Robin Williams playing Elling in the Hollywood remake), but Naess and Hellstenius leave them with just enough rough edges to suspend belief. They're aided by Ellefsen's appropriately brittle performance (particularly in his inappropriately possessive feelings toward those he cares about) and by Nordin, who tempers Kjell's gruff likeability by allowing us to see glimpses of a violent rage simmering beneath the surface. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
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