Review of The Almost Man

4/10
A child-expecting 35-year old refusing to grow up
11 November 2012
Mer eller mindre mann ("More or less man") is about 35 year old Henrik, which is expecting his first kid, moving into a new apartment with his girl friend, while starting off with a new job. So far an interesting premise of a comedy which won prizes at the Karlowy Vary film festival.

Henrik has some rather stupid childhood friends, which I find is far more childish than normal for 35 year olds. I find this quite annoying, and rather puts me off the premise of the film. Henrik himself does some incredibly stupid things, and they're not funny, and hardly interesting. However we understand that he is in some Kine of "close to breakdown".

I was expecting a good comedy, due to this, and to a couple of reviews, and since Norwegian movies has been mostly good for the latter years. But apart for a couple of interesting scenes, I can't say I felt more than bored during the film, which happily isn't very long (80 minutes). Martin Lund is debuting with a cinema flick here, both with manuscript and direction, after directing three shorts. Maybe this is what's wrong. Maybe some consulting would have helped here. It takes more to make an interesting film, and so it's said; This not not at all a comedy. Some scenes actually was quite embarrassing to watch, due to it's childish and sexual character. It's far from having the funny scenes needed to be a comedy, and peeing-humour is difficult to make funny.

Henrik Rafaelsen makes a decent role out of Henrik, and so does debuting Solvei Fosse Grimen as Mia. I'm afraid this didn't function for me at all. The only good thing is that we find a trace of a happy ending here. Hope Henrik will have fun with a kid in the family, though I'm not to sure he'll end up as a good father.
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