Respekt (2008) Poster

(2008)

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5/10
Norwegian adaption of the play Class enemy
OJT28 March 2013
Acclaimed actor Johannes Joner's directorial debut is about a bunch of students gathered in class 3F at a upper secondary school in Oslo. Based on a play called "Class enemy" by Nigel Williams. The film starts up one morning, where everyone wake up to the national radio blabbering around reasons for pupils dropping out of school before they manage to finish up with their curriculum.

This is a comment to that situation, school drop outs. Here we're in a class of pupils which have almost made it through upper secondary school. It's a special class of students, this 3F. A class of 12 pupils struggling to finish up, and this morning a teacher is not showing up. Some bullies, some misfits, an open gay, a rapper... They decide to teach themselves. 10 minutes each, and it all comes to some moments of sincere truths. About jobs, racism, homosexuality, prejudices, bullying, rage a.s.o.

All boys are non-professionals, maybe except Knut Joner, which have had a couple of roles before, even in relation with the director. Later on he has had big roles, e.g. In Max Manus as the national hero Gunnar Sønsteby. He's clearly gong to have an acting career, tough his part in this is not more significant than the other's. The teacher showing up, Daniel Kalssin, is also a professional actor. They all are using their real names, adding to the biographical idea.

That a teacher is not showing up, might happen. And getting a replacement teacher for a gang like this isn't easy. So this is a great idea, but what went wrong? The score here on IMDb suggest so. Well there's talent and a good setting. The credibility is too low. Too staged. In a way we feel that too much is stuffed into this. But worst; this is not made interesting, like the premise really is. The boys touches interesting subjects, but that's all. It might give some reasons why they are troubled, but what comes out of it...?

Good, but kind of pointless, but well directed and played.
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