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Miesten vuoro (2010)
"Letting out Steam"
The documentary "Steam of Life" is not a typical Hollywood documentary and I felt it was very informative. Overall, I felt this film had a very good meaning, but I found it very hard to pay attention. The opening scene shows an elderly couple sitting in a sauna washing and hitting each other with small branches. I assumed this film was going to be about this one particular couple and their sentimental feelings toward their sauna. It said they have been washing each other for over 50 years and I believed it was going to be a love story and their connection towards the sauna. As usual, I was wrong in thinking I knew how a Nordic film was going to turn out. There were many different scenes of different groups, especially men talking about their problems and life stories. This film was dedicated to Finnish men and tries to demonstrate how saunas are a huge cultural aspect in Finland. The major themes used through out the documentary were men and nature. As mentioned earlier there were many different scenes where there were only men in the sauna. In fact, there is only one scene where there is a woman portrayed through out the documentary. Every scene in these saunas demonstrated men opening up to each other and discussing problems they have had. Usually men are portrayed in Nordic films as very masculine, but this film portrayed men as very sentimental towards past experiences. After doing some research on saunas in the Finnish culture, I found people tend to open up more while they are in the saunas. Maybe it's because they are very comfortable from the hot steam along with the cold beer or alcoholic beverage they drink. I say this only because almost every scene showed each member drinking an alcoholic beverage. Another important theme portrayed in the movie was the idea of nature. Almost every scene showed saunas being out in the middle of the woods or on an island. The Finnish culture, as do many Nordic countries include nature in their daily lives. The director really tries to incorporate this idea of nature into the documentary and I feel nature and the location of the saunas help the people in the movie open up. Being alone or with a group of friends out in the middle of the wilderness, makes one feel very comfortable, helping them open up about their feelings. Even though there are a couple of scenes in the city, the director incorporates snow and darkness to demonstrate this theme of nature. Through out the documentary, there is never a time where the camera is rotating. I found this to be very interesting, because there are very few times where I have scene this. The director uses the Dogme 95 technique of close-ups on the character's faces. This is especially scene when one is opening up to the other; giving the viewer a clear retrospect of how the character is feeling. The director also uses this technique when showing those who are listening to the disturbed man's problems. As I was watching these scenes, I almost felt as if I was sitting right next to them and I really felt for each character. Nudity also plays a significant role throughout the documentary. Every scene in the saunas has each character naked. Furthering my research on the documentary, I learned even the camera crew was naked while filming. I found this to be a very interesting and useful technique. The idea of having everyone naked, including the camera crew, would make one feel less comfortable, creating one to open up more. It's hard to think these characters are not acting, but just going about a discussion. I don't believe I would be able to open up, yet alone be filmed naked in a film. I mentioned earlier how this film was very informative. I say this only because; this would not be a typical Hollywood documentary. Most Hollywood documentaries are very formal and give a layout of facts about a certain subject. This documentary tried to make the viewer understand the Finnish culture without the incorporation of facts. Also, in many Hollywood documentaries, there is usually a narrator in the film. This film did not have a narrator and I found this to be very strange. I understand why the director didn't use a narrator, but it was just something I wasn't accustomed to. I give the film a 5 out of 10 rating, because I didn't find it to be very interesting. Also, I feel the film could've gotten the point across in a shorter length. I understood the whole meaning of film after the fifth scene and I feel the director dragged the film on way too long.
deUsynlige (2008)
Confused Individuals
"Troubled Water" is a suspenseful, mind-boggling movie, making the viewer feel sentimental from two different perspectives. I say this, because the movie shows different perspectives from both Jan and Agnes who are the main characters. At first I thought the movie was just going to be about Jan and how he is going to try and fit into society after he gets out of prison and all of a sudden the movie rewinds and shows how Agnes is dealing with the fact Jan just got out of jail after "murdering" her son. It was very confusing at first, but I feel the director Erik Poppe correlated this confusion very well to come up with a great ending. Meet Jan Thomas who is a confused, mysterious, and a distraught character trying to fit back into society. Jan who is played by Pal Sverre Valheim Hagen, was sentenced to prison for the murder of Isaac. He is hired after he is let out of prison to play organ for the Catholic Church in his city. He is a very talented musician, but I get the sense his music makes him think back on the crime he committed because he looks very torn and discomforted while he plays. Overall, I believe the murder of Isaac reflects his character and the person he is trying to be Agnes who is played by Trine Dyrholm, is a depressed, past dweller. She is the mother of Isaac, the boy Jan "murdered." The first time we meet Agnes one is not able to distinguish her character, but when she first sees Jan, one is able to see how she is a very confused person. She always is doing absurd actions through out the movie, because she is always thinking how to get back at Jan for what he did. The title "Troubled Water" is a very good title and theme for the movie, because every scene where there is water something always seems to go wrong. The river along with tears, all is uses of water reflecting these issues. Another important theme scene in the movie is stealing. In the beginning scene it shows Jan stealing Isaac away from Agnes when she enters the coffee shop. Also to get revenge on Jan, Agnes towards the end of the movie decides to steal Jan's girlfriend's son Jen. There were a few questions I had about the movie particularly relating to the Norwegian Judicial System and the ideology of Catholicism in Norway. As mentioned earlier, Jan was imprisoned for the murder of Agnes' son Isaac. I really want to know how much time he spent behind bars. In America, if someone is convicted of murder, they are sentenced to life. I know the Norwegian Judicial System is much different compared to the U.S., but wouldn't you think Jan would be sentenced longer? The movie doesn't necessarily say how long he was in prison, but one would think Jan's character would've looked more aged? It just seems absurd to me that he would've spent at the most ten years judging off of his character resemblance. Even flashbacks of Agnes when she was younger and scenes of her in the present seems as if Jan wasn't in prison for very long. I feel the director needed to make this clearer to not leave the viewer is such a confused state. Another criticism I have of this movie was how Catholicism was represented. Jan's girlfriend Anna who is a Catholic priest, is shown having a relationship with a man and on top of that, there is a scene where Jan and Anna are having sex. If I know correctly, a priest is not supposed to have relationships, yet alone have sex. Maybe the director of the movie is trying to demonstrate how Norwegians don't value religion as much, but it is appalling because this is not the Catholic way. To me these criticisms show how the director and the film writer are well- uneducated bringing down my rating of the movie. Overall I would give "Troubled Water" a 6 out of 10 stars. The movie had a very good plot and amazing imagery, but from my criticisms mentioned earlier, I feel some things just didn't make sense leaving me with a confused state.
Elling (2001)
Comedy?
Elling a "momma's boy" is a middle-aged man who has been living with his mother his whole life until she dies. Elling goes crazy and becomes socially awkward and is forced to live in mental center. There he meets his roommate and long-time friend Kjell Bjarne who has a disorder where all he thinks about is women and sex. Eventually the end up being released from the mental hospital and are forced to live with each other. Every once in a while they have a social worker who checks in on them to see if they are capable of living on their own. They face many different obstacles in their time together along with overcoming their mental disabilities.
Per Christian Ellefsen portrays Elling as a quiet, neat freak. I feel Elling has the most difficult adapting to daily life and the outside world. Having his character be a neat freak compels his disability. He is the probably the most difficult character to figure out, because you really don't ever understand what his emotions are. Although there are scenes where one may be able to understand his character, but I feel the director made it too difficult for viewers to understand whom Elling really was. Kjell Bjarne on the other hand is a man who is trying to break out of his element and reunite with the outside world. I feel the director made his character better noticeable because I feel his character was simpler. I'm still confused though why does he always insist on hitting his head on tables and pounding his fist on walls. One could say he is a very angry person, but I don't feel that at all. His love for his girlfriend abolishes this idea of him being angry.
The main theme that I took from this movie was the idea of family. The idea of Elling and Kjell being together demonstrates how the director enhances this theme of family. Considering this is a Norwegian film and the value of nature is portrayed in many films does not seem to be an important theme for this movie. Most of the movie is filmed in a big city. I was expecting more scenes involving the aspects of nature to be enhanced in this movie. There is a scene where they all go to a cabin and this would contradict my previous statement, but this scene doesn't play a significant role in the movie.
The movie is considered as a comedy and I would have to disagree. There were times where only a few times where I would laugh, but overall I wouldn't say it is a comedy. Maybe I don't have a sense of humor or maybe Norwegian comedies are different compared to American films, but I feel the movie was more considered as a drama rather than a comedy. Elling is supposed to be the main character and one would think if the movie was supposed to be a comedy, the main character would be the most funny. I believe Kjell is bar far the funniest actor just because he is a slob and doesn't know when to change his underwear. Elling to me is more serious all the time and even though his seriousness can sometimes to funny, in order for a movie to be considered as a comedy, the main character has to always be funny.
Overall I really enjoyed the film, because I feel the message from the movie can be seen around the world. There are many different people who have difficulty associating them with the outside world. I myself have difficulty talking to complete strangers and this movie has made look at things differently. I also feel the location, lighting, etc. was very well used to enhance the director's purpose of the movie. I wouldn't say this was the best movie I have ever watched before which is why I only rated the movie and 8 out of 10. I wouldn't say this is the type of movie someone would want take a date too, but if someone wants to watch a movie on a rainy day and curl up on the couch, this would be a perfect movie for this situation.