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kurivaim
Nov 18, 2003

robot slash folk singer
Directed by: Bent Hamer
Starring: Joachim Calmeyer, Tomas Norström, Bjørn Floberg

This film is equal parts gripping character drama and hilarious black comedy, and it does both equally well. From what I've been told, it's also chock full of wry political commentary on Norwegian-Swedish relations, but that part of the movie went right over my head.

The premise is that there are several Swedes (including Tomas Norström's character, Folke Nilsson) who have been hired to observe the kitchen use patterns of Norwegian bachelors (like Joachim Calmeyer's character, Isak Bjornsson) as part of a research project on kitchen usage in general. The observers are supposed to just sit on high chairs in the kitchens of their subjects, taking notes and not interacting in any way. This arrangement results in some deliciously and hilariously absurd situations, like when Isak gets up, leaves his kitchen, and turns off the kitchen lights, leaving Folke sitting in the dark.

The movie revolves around the inevitable interactions between the observer and the observed. No anthropologist or other observer can remain completely neutral and uninvolved from what he's observing. At the same time, both parties end up studying and observing each other in equal portions -- while the subject is interesting to the anthropologist, the opposite is just as true. The movie really hits its stride when it starts dealing with these issues in earnest, as Isak and Folke start getting to know each other.

There's nothing particularly breathtaking or spectacular in the cinematography, which is as it should be. There are some very nice compositions, but the viewer's attention is always solidly on the characters in the film and not on the physical manifestation of the film itself. The acting is also quite good and never distracting.

4/5

RATING: 4

PROS: Terrific black comedy, great characterization
CONS: Moves very slowly at times

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323872/

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