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Heftig og begeistret (2001)
What You See is What You Get
Who doesn't like a movie that exposes the exotic lives of those living in northern Norway? Cool and Crazy delves into the culture of the folk from Finnmark in northern Scandinavia. The film follows the journey and history of the men in a church Choir in Finnmark. They are witty and very blunt. The men are lighthearted about life, love, and singing. This film is interesting in many aspects, but specifically the characters, filming techniques and the organization of the film.
The film starts out with the choir and then proceeds to enter the first interview. The character is an old man, like most of the men in the movie, and he talks about his love life and women. Next, he talks about his history with the choir. This is a common theme with the interviews that were documented in this film. In between the interviews were performances by the choir in outdoor, often remote, areas. They sang on the coast in all sorts of weather from blowing wind and ice in the dead of winter to the warm glow of the midnight sun peaking over the ocean. The songs they sang were mainly about life and seemed to match the seasons. For example, they sang of hardship and the longing for spring during the dark winder months, while they rejoiced for the renewal that spring brought for the land and their own spirits. This film also followed the choir to a concert they had in Mermansk, Russia. They mostly bantered about politics and how the land was in such bad shape during the bus-ride. They were appalled and disgusted at the destruction Russia had afflicted to the environment. This film shows how content these men are with the lives they live in Finnmark. Although it is a remote location and the weather is harsh, they still see a reason to stay. Their dedication to their homeland shows how much home means to them. They take pride in the fact that they are from Finnmark.
There are many characters in this movie. Of the men that were interviewed, a few stuck out to me. Firstly was the primary interviewee. His wife (even though they were never officially married, they lived together for 40 years) was dead, he had lived in Finnmark his whole life, and he had been singing in the choir for 60+ years. So, let's first address the culture differences. People in Norway aren't necessarily in a huge hurry to go to the alter. It is very normal for them to live together and even have kids together without being married. For some reason, it seemed like there were many widowed men in this chorus. Do men live longer in Norway than women? In the US, I have observed more widows than widowers. This is strictly a personal observation, but I thought it interesting. The second subject that stuck out to me was the younger man with two kids. He was the odd one out. He really exhibited a strong camaraderie with the older folk in the choir. And lastly, I took a special interest in the 90-year old man who still drove a car in the snow. He was so classic and traditional. It seemed like he had a routine for everything. This choir spanned across multiple generations and the film explored that.
This documentary is very raw and basic because of the home-video quality of the interviews. Some newer documentaries are still very "Hollywood" and use all sorts of filters. This film doesn't, and it shows. The camera was hand-held, there was little artificial light(except shooting the choir singing at night), it was not staged, and all of the filming was shot in a very natural setting, which reminds me of the Dogma 95 movement. Bottom line, this movie was as real-life as you can get. The setting was held in multiple seasons, which captured the isolated frozenness of the arctic winter and the crisp summers under the arctic sun. Working in shots of the midnight sun during the summer season also very realistically portrayed the contrast.
The organization of this film was very confusing. I wonder if there is even a plot to this film. I think it was challenging to catch a lot of the significance of this movie by watching it with subtitles. I understand the interview-song-interview-song pattern, but I was many times lost as to the significance of the movie as a whole. It did not keep my attention and I didn't find it very funny. I think that they did the best they could with this movie and I think the structure is very creative, the songs were too long to focus on for long, and the interviews were dragging and somewhat boring. I think the subject is a tough one to make into a super entertaining and engaging film.
Honestly, I thought the fact that the 90-year old man was still driving in the winter and the younger man's story the most engaging parts of the film. Cool and Crazy is not for everyone and was not for me. Unless you are into desolate places and old men, you might not appreciate this film. Although, seeing the village and landscape of Finnmark through such a realistic lens is fascinating. That fascination is dulled, however, as the film progresses and that landscape is all you see. Although Cool and Crazy is very slow moving and may not appeal to some, what you see is what you get. The title of this film captures the climate and overall dull feel of the film, while exposing the craziness of the men's characters. Although I would not recommend this film nor enjoyed watching it, there were some interesting aspects achieved.
deUsynlige (2008)
Beautifly Conflicted
Troubled Water starts out with Jan, a convicted murderer, being released from prison. He gets a job as the Organ player at a local church. The story continues as he creates a relationship with Anna, the priest. Jan also builds a relationship with her son, Jens. Meanwhile, Agnes, the mother of the boy who Jan killed, tracks him down and struggles with the past. We first see Jan's journey from the time of his release and hiring to when Jens goes missing outside of his preschool under Jan's supervision. Next the film moves to the journey of Agnes. Her life is shown in a series of flashbacks throughout her everyday life with her family and two adopted daughters. She stalks Jan periodically and finds out information about his life after prison and discovers that Jan is with Anna and her little boy Jens. The stories converge at the kidnapping of Jen's from Jan by Agnes. Jan finds her and admits to killing her son Isak while Jen's is in the car. Jens runs down the same riverbank where Jan killed Isak year's prior and wades into the river. Jan saves him from drowning and Agnes helps them both ashore. Jen's is returned to his mother. This is the first time Anna knows that Jen's was a murderer and their story is cut off halfway through a painfully conflicted conversation. Agnes goes home and reunites with her family. This is her turning point. She is able to let go of Isak and move forward fully embracing the present with her husband and two daughters.
The close-up blurry shots hint at a sense of confusion. Jan is tapping into his grey area. He has been lying to himself for so many years that he started to actually believe that he didn't kill Isak. The blurry close-ups are like looking into his mind. When people think about untrue events obsessively and for long enough, they learn to permanently deny the truth, which they are trying to hide. They just bury it until even they believe the lie. This happens to Jan after he kills Isak. He starts denying it the moment he commits the crime. After that he denies responsibility in trial and is left to meditate on it in prison for years. No wonder he believes it himself. Once he is released from prison, however, he is reminded of what really happened and starts having flashbacks due to seeing Jen's and the café etc. These tangible sights and things were not there in prison. The confines allowed him to focus on denying the truth. Out in the real world, he is confronted again and again with reminders and identity crises. Agnes helps Jan realize the truth and Jan helps Agnes move on.
Jon really doesn't talk much throughout the movie. Maybe words cannot express the regret and guilt that he feels about killing Isak. His music, while in prison, seems incredibly simple and dry. Once he is released and gets the opportunity to play in a real church on a magnificent organ, he is able to tap into his talent once again. The music is his way of repenting, and confessing. It is his way of expressing all of those unspeakable emotions. The beauty in his music, however, isn't achieved in a solemn tone or minor key. It is in the build, the crescendo, and/or climax of the music where hope is illustrated that inspires the beauty. During such a hard journey, Jan expresses his hope through his music.
The end of this film is very depressing and not entirely closing. I don't like how things are left between Anna and Jan. Although Anna doesn't seems to look like she will forgive Jan, you never know. Her role as a priest puts her in an interesting position. There are two sides to her: mother and priest. At the end she has to pick because she is so conflicted. Although it appears to viewers that she picks motherly instincts over priestly views, one can never be sure. This just seems like such a bummer for Jan. He finally gains some closure with Agnes after she steals Anna's son Jen's and Jon saves him from her and from drowning. I guess he can't have everything though. It would probably be too much to hope that he, Anna, and Jens live happily ever after as one big happy family. The viewer is left with Anna's signs of pain and conflict and Jon's yearning to be forgiven, but no one actually knows how they end up. This film is filled with beautiful conflict.
Elling (2001)
Such a heart-warming movie!
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.