User Reviews

I was so pleasantly surprised by this Norwegian movie. The characters are exceptionally portrayed. I love the different aspects of crazy that they each have to offer. The key turning points for Kjell Bjarne and Elling also happen at unexpected times, which adds a sort of realism to the film. The simple victories these characters win over their anxiety and previously extremely sheltered way of life is so satisfying. You just want them to succeed so badly, so its refreshing to see their growth.

This film is about two men who room together in a state institution. Elling is a 40-year-old "mama's boy" who has lived under his mother's roof and has been babied and sheltered by her his whole life. When she dies, Elling is extracted from his home and placed in the institution where he meets Kjell Bjarne. Kjell Bjarne is a 40-year-old virgin who is obsessed with women, sex, and food. Even their first conversation as roommates together in the state institution is about sex. After 2 years, the roommates are released from the institution and sent to live in an apartment to prove that they can live on their own in society. This is where we meet the character Frank Åsli, a social worker and father figure in charge of Elling and Kjell Bjarne. Elling and Kjell Bjarne go through many struggles to learn simple tasks, such as simply answering the phone or doorbell. A big challenge for the two men is leaving the apartment. They gradually progress by experiencing growth in their fundamental life skills. Finally, they arrive at Christmas. They exchange gifts and watch a Christmas program on TV together, but this is also where we meet Reidun. She is a pregnant, single woman who lives above Kjell Bjarne and Elling. From this point on Elling and Kjell Bjarne gain more independence from each other. Reidun is also the inspiration for Elling to write his first poem. This launches Elling on society by compelling him to share his poetry secretly with the city. This is also how Elling meets Alfons Jørgensen, a famous poet, at a poetry reading. From here on Kjell Bjarne and Elling continue to adapt with the help of their new friends. Much detail was drawn to everyday tasks. It makes you realize how many life skills you actually have and that you weren't born just knowing how to answer the phone or mingle with people comfortably. Although these men are in their 40's and learning very fundamental skills of life, everyone had to learn these skills at one point. Elling and Kjell-Bjarne are so defiant and negligent toward responsibility outside of the apartment. People on the outside of their apartment of any kind make them anxious and uncomfortable to the point that they pretend they aren't home.

Elling's scene where he explains that he has two enemies, "dizziness and anxiety", was especially interesting. The way that he personifies those dimensions of his character draws specific attention to them. He later shows off his progress when he ventures out of the apartment by expressing, "they (dizziness and anxiety) didn't join me this time." It is very heart-warming to finally see Elling and Kjell-Bjarne take the baby-steps they need to expand their capabilities. From these steps, their confidence grows immensely and their lives really take off. For example, while Kjell-Bjarne is ogling at the waitress at the pub, Elling is in the public bathroom for the first time trying to pee. The moment when the stranger standing next to him snaps his fingers and Elling is successful for the first time at going to the bathroom in public, is such a momentous occasion. Everything from then on spirals into successful growth towards Kjell Bjarne and Elling becoming more and more self-sufficient. That is one turning point for Elling.

There are two key times in this movie. One, when Elling and Kjell Bjarne go to the pub. Elling accomplishes going to the bathroom, like previously mentioned, but then immediately after, he calls Frank on the phone and has a simple conversation just telling him what they are doing. Kjell Bjarne and Elling are so pleased about the boundaries that they just stretched that it snowballs from then on. This is when they are truly becoming independent from the institution and their apartment. The second turning point is on Christmas. Elling and Kjell Bjarne are launched into separate interests, creating independence from each other. Kjell Bjarne meets Reidun, who becomes his girlfriend and he spends a lot of time with her. Meanwhile, Elling starts writing poetry, at that same key moment, which launches him into the world of poetry. Through independence from each other and the state institution, these men gain their lives. The look of joy on Kjell Bjarne and Ellings' faces when they accomplish something is like a whole new world opens up to them.

It is incredible to watch Elling and Kjell Bjarne succeed with the help of Frank, Reidun, and Alfons. This movie is truly inspiring and warms your heart to see these men succeed.

During the opening credits we learn that the title character was a "momma's boy." When she dies he is about 40, and he has to be be forcibly removed from the house (actually he's huddling in a closet) by the police. He is taken to a mental institution where he has a roommate named Kjell Bjarne, who is a very large man who is obsessed with food and women (although he is quite naive about the latter), and unfamiliar with personal hygiene. Elling makes up stories, mostly about women, which Kjell Bjarne initially takes as the truth, and when he finds out that they are fiction he asks Elling to continue telling them.

Very shortly into the film, Elling and Kjell Bjarne are given a small government paid apartment in downtown Oslo. They are put under the occasional care of Frank Åsli, a social worker who lets them know that they need to take care of themselves or they will be sent back to the mental institution. But this is *much* more easily said than done. Elling's first trip to the grocery store, which is made under extreme duress, is a complete fiasco. And both of them are afraid to answer the phone.

There are a couple of other significant characters who enter the story a bit later, although in the spirit of not giving away too much, I won't go into any more detail.

I found this film utterly charming both times I have seen it, most recently on 7/2/2002. The first time was at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was my second favorite film of the 43 I saw there. There isn't anything flashy about it, and it might move a bit slowly for some, but it is very well made and acted by all concerned, and the story shows the trials and the joy of everyday life and of friendship. It was one of the final nominees for the best foreign language film Academy Award for 2001. If you don't set your expectations sky high, I think you will be very pleased that you saw this little gem.

Remakes: According to IMDb, this film is scheduled to be remade by Trigger Street in 2003. Trigger Street is the production company of Kevin Spacey, although there are conflicting rumors as to whether or not he will be part of the cast. While I'm glad that this will probably result in more exposure for the the original film and this wonderful story, it's sad that American audiences have to see an English language film with recognizable actors before they'll even notice a film.

What do you get when you force a diminutive, neurotic mama's boy and a hulking oaf are forced to live together by the Norwegian government? This is the basic premise of Petter Næss's film, Elling. The film begins with the titular character, played with convincing neuroticism by Per Christian Ellefsen, being released from the mental institution where he has lived during the two years following his mother's death. Despite its morbid sounding set-up, Elling is a surprisingly lighthearted film that stays on the side of heartwarming without ever becoming overly silly or sentimental.

Elling and his roommate, Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin), a giant interested primarily in food and sex, have been deemed ready to face the real world. The Norwegian government provides the pair an enviable, fully furnished apartment in Oslo in which to build their new life. They can keep the apartment on the condition that they make an effort to assimilate into normal life. This includes tasks that are seemingly mundane to us but panic inducing to Elling, including answering the phone and going around the corner to shop for groceries.

The film arouses a great empathy in viewers. Though probably not to Elling's extent, everyone has felt fearful in certain settings, even if those fears are irrational. When Elling experiences these moments, Næss uses the camera to put us in his shoes. As the phone in the apartment rings, Elling tries in vain to ignore it, but it overcome by dizziness. The camera rocks almost imperceptibly back and forth, as if we might be overcome with anxiety and fall to the ground with Elling. As Elling learns to conquer his fears, the spinning rooms and rocking camera movements subside.

Though they are pushed to action by the tough love of their social worker, Frank Asli, it is primarily Elling and Kjell Bjarne who comfort and encourage each other to grow and take risks. Kjell Bjarne feels little of Elling's fear towards the outside world. He expresses himself through his physical actions, without over thinking any process ("Kjell Bjarne seems to carry every person he meets…strange," Elling notes at one point). Where Kjell Bjarne is a man of few words, Elling is a chatterbox, and though he has trouble conveying it, he seems to possess a deep insight into the personalities of the people surrounding him. Though the two seem to have nothing in common, they form an intimate bond. One touching scene shows the two exchanging Christmas gifts: Kjell Bjarne has painstakingly constructed a model of their apartment out of thousands of matches for Elling, while Elling purchases a lewd watch with a woman on it for Kjell Bjarne ("How did you know I wanted the blonde?!" he exclaims gleefully).

As the film progresses, Elling and Kjell Bjarne develop into more independent individuals while still strengthening their friendship. When Kjell Bjarne finds their neighbor, Reidun, drunk, pregnant, and passed out in the stairwell, the two form a tentative yet tender relationship. Though this initially causes Elling to pout and react with jealousy, it enables him to learn how to deal with being alone, which in turn leads to his discovery of his true calling as a poet. After this empowering experience, Elling boldly addresses Kjell Bjarne and Reidun's insecurities about their blossoming relationship and pushes them together When Reidun expresses doubt about Kjell Bjarne ("He never says anything. He's so weird," she complains to Elling), Elling advocates for him ("I prefer the English expression: 'rare,'" he replies).

On an excursion to explore his new calling, Elling makes his first friend that wasn't forced upon him, an elderly writer named Alfons. Alfons, Elling, Kjell Bjarne and Reidun, each in their own way social outcasts, form an unlikely family, a support system to lean on. By the end of the film, Elling and Kjell Bjarne are not only on their way to becoming full independent members of society, but are actively benefiting the people around them.

Elling never truly delves into the darker side of mental illness, and Elling and Kjell Bjarne's diagnoses aren't explicitly revealed. Kjell Bjarne often bangs his head against the wall and has a hygiene problem, while Elling is incredibly anxious and agoraphobic, but none of these behaviors seem to warrant an extended stay in a mental institution. Do the pair truly have mental illnesses, or are they simply socially maladjusted? Whatever the case, the film never makes cheap jokes about mental illness or uses it as an excuse to dehumanize or stigmatize the characters. Rather, Elling finds its humor in the exploration of two characters with diametrically opposed viewpoints working in tandem to create better lives for themselves.

Elling, a middle aged man is rescued from a cupboard, where he has hidden himself, after his mother died. It's clear he has mental problems. He is brought to an institution that will try to help him with his problem. It's in this hospital where he becomes a roommate of Kjell Bjarne, a big man whose hygiene leaves a lot to be desired because he tends to forget when to bathe and when to change his underwear.

As a way of rehabilitating these pair, they are sent to Oslo after two years in the the mental institution. It's a gamble the people in charge of them take, but fortunately, the arrangement pays off for both men. As they are settling down, in the neat and sparse apartment, Elling doesn't want to go out. When Frank, the man who supervises these two men, urges Elling to go out, he is at a disadvantage. Not having to deal with the real world, presents a big problem to Elling.

Eventually, Elling and Kjell find their way to a nice restaurant where they are served a dish they have come for, but that wasn't in the menu. Kjell's sexual desires begin stirring inside him and come to a collision when he, and Elling happen to come home and find the upstairs neighbor, Reidun, who has passed out drunk on the stairs.

At this same time, Elling realizes he is a poet, or at least he believes he is. His self confidence begins to build up when he goes to poetry readings around town and meets the poet Alfons, who sees in Elling a man with possibilities. Kjell also finds he is a talented mechanic that can fix cars. Eventually, the experiment with the two men seems to be paying off.

Petter Naess, the Norwegian director, does wonders with this feel good comedy about two men that have been institutionalized because of mental problems working themselves into good citizens. It says a lot about the way Norway deals with problems affecting its citizens. Sometimes, confinement for too long doesn't help the inmates whose problems could be treated in a different way. The film presents a positive approach as how to help people in that situation.

The actors in the film give excellent portrayals. Per Christian Ellefsen and Sven Nordin make us believe they are Elling and Kjell without much effort. The others in the cast add to the success of the picture.

A simple film of simple people with simple intentions, Elling (2001), a Petter Naess film, portrays a pair finding their way through the welfare state of Norway. An authentic focus on the lives of these two men with mental illness grabs sympathy from the audience as they watch the everyday struggles of Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) and Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin). After living the majority of his life with his mother, her unexpected death cripples Elling and his psyche, and we see Elling being forced out of a closet he had been hiding in by the Norway welfare people for his own good will. Elling meets his roommate, Kjell Bjarne who obsesses over the sexy stories Elling tells him. Eventually, the pair find themselves living in a big city welfare apartment provided for them by the Norwegian government. It is here that they build a relationship with their social worker, Frank Asli (Jorgen Langhelle) as they try living day to day life.

The topic of mental illness is central to this film, as the two main characters had the Norwegian government intervene in their lives because they were unsuitable to live on their own. Naess chooses to not include the actual diagnoses of each character because he felt that including a clinical diagnosis for each character would dehumanize them. This choice is extremely effective in translating a very likable nature behind the pair no matter their psychological differences. Although, Naess had good intentions of making the two very likable in spite of their mental illness, it also may translate to the audience that all people with mental illness are such simple, good natured, likable people that must be taken care of by their respective state governments. Nonetheless, the simplicity of these two characters definitely grab at the audiences' heartstrings.

The character of Elling is a staunch Labour Party supporter and Gro Harlem Brundtland enthusiast which is a major theme throughout the film. Once the unlikely pair move into their government housing, Elling insists on putting an almost angelic photograph of Gro Harlem Brundtland (a major supporter of the welfare state in Norway) in a prominent spot on their dining area wall. Elling has idealized Gro Harlem Brundtland so much that he constantly reads about her and almost substitutes her for his mother and for those who are taking care of him. Such strong support by Elling for this Party can be seen in political disagreements that he has with his new friends at a cabin where he truly believes everything the Labour Party has done is right and true. The viewer may question if Elling clung to this idealism once he could no longer cling to his mother… What seems to draw Elling out of his neurotic rut is the opportunity for new friendship and even family. Kjell Bjarne, no matter how different he is in personality, and Elling demonstrate their friendship when giving each other gifts on Christmas. They both pick something that is truly perfectly inherent to the others personality and this moment is one of the most meaningful and precious of the entire movie, granted Kjell's present was a nude woman on a watch! Elling and Kjell Bjarne provide each other with exactly what each other needs to balance out, which seems to be why the pair is so successful in living on their own and really creating their own family.

For such a simple pair of characters, Naess provides a simple amount of locations for scenes. A large amount of the film takes place in the government provided housing that Elling is afraid to leave. Once Elling begins to shed some of his anxieties, we see both Elling and Kjell Bjarne in different places with different people such as a poetry house, cabin, or friends' apartment. Simple cinematic techniques are used as well to compliment the simple characters. The use of voice-over provides extra detail if needed that may not be interpreted from a scene. Besides this technique, there seems to be no flashy devices like those in Hollywood that catch a viewers' attention. But rather, the viewer is able to focus on the characters and their likability and simplistic nature.

The film, Elling (2001), is an uplifting story with authentic characters that develop through being forced into the "real world" essentially. There are no hidden things to get from this film, as it is upfront and simple and only wants to provide the story of an unlikely pair coming together to form their own family.

This comedic story centers on the lives of two middle-age men, Elling, played by Per Christian Ellefsen and Kjell Bjarne, played by Sven Nordin, who have recently been released from a state institution after two years and are being placed back into society in Oslo, Norway. Elling has previously led an extremely sheltered life for 40 years in an apartment with his mother up until her death. Dizziness and anxiety are his two main enemies while engaging with the larger society and he initially struggles with everyday tasks such as answering the telephone and buying groceries at the supermarket. His roommate, Kjell, on the other hand, is a rather large and more out-going fellow who is woman deprived and sex-obsessed. While Kjell initially takes the lead engaging with society, Elling soon musters up his confidence and joins him with the help of their newfound friends: Frank (Jørgen Langhelle), their social worker, Reidun (Marit Pia Jacobsen), their pregnant upstairs neighbor whom Kjell takes a fancy to, and Alfons (Per Christensen), a famous poet whom Elling befriends. The duo discovers that not only can they take on the everyday challenges in society; they can master them! Director Petter Naess, whose other notable works include Absolute Hangover (1999), Only Bea (2004), and Mozart and the Whale (2005), derives his film direction from a theater background. One primary theatrical influence present in Elling (2001) is the use of "extended scenes," which is made possible by Naess extensively rehearsing with his actors. As a director, Naess is known for highlighting themes of mental illness and relationships, both of which are heavily present in the film. "Elling" received international success and praise, resulting in an Academy Award nomination.

The principal theme in the film is the formulation of relationships, resulting in an unconventional family unit first between Elling and Kjell, with the eventual addition of Reidun and Alfons. "Elling" highlights the growing national trend in Norway of the diffusion of new family formation patterns. The primary relationship is between Elling and Kjell who are first brought together as roommates at the state institution. They rely on their daily interactions and routine and become baffled at the obstacles ahead of them as they leave the institution together. The first major sign in Oslo of their undeniable dependence on one another, as well as their strong dislike of change, comes when they are shown their individual bedrooms within the apartment by Frank. Upon Frank's departure they immediately move their beds together into one room and place them in the exact same setup they had while living in the institution. A second relationship in the film develops between Kjell and Reidun, much to the immediate dismay of Elling. When Kjell starts spending more time in Reidun's apartment, Elling acts out in defiance as he feels that his close friend is moving on without him. Not wanting to be alone, Elling seeks companionship elsewhere in the poetry world, leading to his friendship with Alfons. Eventually, all four spend a weekend at Alfons's cabin, cementing their separate and combined relationships as an unconventional family unit.

The second theme in the film deals with societal independence and the overcoming of social uneasiness and anxiety it brings for Elling and Kjell. Part of their deal with Frank is that they must interact with society, which includes my favorite scene of Elling learning to answer the telephone. The two of them have to learn to break out of their "outsider" image and feel a part of society. This is done through the discovering of hobbies. For Kjell, his confidence shines as an auto mechanic, as he works to repair Alfons's vintage car. Elling gains confidence through his revelation as a poet, which leads him to go to a "poet's meeting" and later spread his poetry anonymously as the mysterious Poet E.

Poetry for Elling is a way for him to explore and eventually express the self, which becomes the third main theme of the film. Both lead characters struggle to release their emotions. When Kjell gets frustrated, usually because he can't talk to women, he bangs his head against the wall whereas Elling yells at others and at one point shakes Kjell's toolbox and has to be carried back to bed like a child in order to calm down. Their gradual gain of self-expression is primarily conveyed through cinematic techniques such as the comedic script, playful background music often in the form of carnival music, and "straight on" camera shots which lend to the portrayal of honesty of the two leads.

"Elling" draws attention to the formulation of friendships and makeshift families among strangers, societal independence and with that overcoming social uneasiness and anxiety, and the exploration of self-expression. These themes, along with Naess's simple yet efficient directing style, shed a much-needed light on the lives of institutional residents and their shift into society. The script lacks mention of clinical jargon, allowing the viewer to avoid immediate stereotyping and instead relate and sympathize with Elling and Kjell. In the end, "Elling" wins the hearts of its viewers by allowing its audience the opportunity to laugh with the characters and enjoy the breadth of humanity.

This is simply a charming and funny story that doesn't have what I would call laugh out loud moments but thats the best thing about this offbeat film. Story is about two 40 year old men that have had virtually no contact with the outside world. Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) has lived with his mother until her death and then the police find him huddled in a cabinet not knowing what is happening. He is sent to an institution and his roommate is Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin) and together they form a friendship. After two years they are both given the opportunity to live on their own so they are sent to live in an apartment complex in Oslo. They meet Frank (Jorgen Langhelle) who is to make sure they are alright and evaluate their progress. Frank has a difficult time at first getting them to go outside and intermingle with the outside world but he finally shows them that they have to go and shop for food if they want to remain in their apartment. One day they meet Reidun (Marit Pia Jacobsen) who is their upstairs neighbor and pregnant. She is drunk and passed out on the stairs and they bring her back to her apartment where Kjell stays with her. Kjell and Reidun start to date and this upsets Elling who feels jealous and forgotten so he starts to write poetry.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

One night Elling goes to a poetry reading and meets an elderly gentleman named Alfons Jorgensen (Per Christensen) and form a friendship. Alfons turns out to be a poet that has had many books published and he also owns a 1958 Buick which Kjell gets running and the four of them decide to go spend some time at Alfons cabin. While there Reidun goes into labor and together they await the news of her delivery.

This film was directed by Petter Naess who does a very good job of keeping the humor on a subtle level. It is funny to watch them get frustrated at certain things that are expected of them but for the most part this film keeps a steady pace with its comedic scenes. The characters Elling and Kjell bare a striking resemblance to "The Odd Couple" with one being fussy while the other talks of not changing his underwear or not bathing for days. Ellefsen dominates the film with his character and he comes across as a cross between Felix Unger and Rowan Atkinson's character "Bean". One of the things that I did notice about these two is that I didn't come away thinking that they were retarded or slow, just two people that seemingly are having a late start in life and are just now experiencing things for the first time. That's the charm about this film and the simplicity gives it its pulse. Film is about how these two adjust and start fitting into society instead of hiding from it and guessing what its about.