Mors Elling (2003)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Eva Isaksen

Writers:

Ingvar Ambjørnsen (book)
Axel Hellstenius (writer)

Release Date:

10 October 2003 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Airport | Sequel | Mother Son Relationship | Pickpocket

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Per Christian Ellefsen	...	Elling
Grete Nordrå	...	Mor
Helge Reiss	...	Bugge-Høvik
Christin Borge	...	Mag
Per Schaaning	...	Georg
Lena Meieran	...	Grete Iversen
Ane Dahl Torp	...	Flyvertinne
Erlend Bakker	...	Sikkerhetsvakt
Torbjørn Paulsen	...	Elling som Liten
Henriette Steenstrup	...	Ung Mor
Liv Johannson	...	Fru Asbjørnsen
Egil Grasmo	...	Hr. Asbjørnsen
Gabriel Martin	...	Jesus Maria
Frank Capdet	...	Juan
Àngels Aymar	...	Hore 1

Also Known As:

Mother's Elling (International: English title)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Iceland:L | Norway:7 | Sweden:Btl | Germany:6

Company:

Maipo Film- og TV Produksjon

Movie Connections:

Follows Elling (2001)

An insult to the Norwegian language as well as the art of film making...

I haven't seen its prequel or sequel and from what I witnessed in this travesty of a film, I don't intend to. Although a different director than the other two, this adaptation of Ingvar Ambjørnsens book butchers my interest in the other films. And sadly to say also the source material.

This film deals with Elling, a character so unlikely that he could only appear in a Norwegian film. Not only are the characters walking clichés, but they talk like no Norwegians ever do, except when on stage as actors in a play.

And Elling is an impossible creature. Supposedly a social imbecile and lightly retarded, he somehow is portrayed as one of the most eloquent and poignant individuals you'll ever meet. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Elling is a fantasy concoction of how a mentally challenged person is. When was the last time you met a socially inadequate human being who could easily spellbind pretty much anyone? Never happened, never will... I'm not trying to offend mentally challenged people, I'm simply deconstructing how Elling's character is put together. At least when you want to make a portrait of someone at the side of what's "normal", please make an effort to give him more than one dimension, no matter how bogus they are. Respect your audience.

The dialogue in this film means only one thing for me: sheer, physical pain. I wonder how I managed to stay tuned in for as long as I did. As I said, the dialogue executed in this film is non-existent outside Norwegian theaters and unfortunately many previous Norwegian films. But even if the script was better and the director had at least the tiniest clue about preparing actors for talking on screen, this film kind of looks like a theater play converted to the big screen: The framing is cheap and uninspired, the locations are uninteresting, the set pieces are poorly put together, the pacing is nothing but sub-standard and completely predictable, the situations looks constructed, the scenes are embarrassing to watch in all their awkwardness and the list could go on and on.

Excuse me for being such a sourpuss, but it had to be said. The best thing about this trilogy is that it (hopefully) is completed.

I rest my case.