Erik Poppe's Oslo is a multi-racial, graffiti-covered anywhere-city like Manchester or Berlin or Paris. As a portrait of wasted youth, Schpaaa is a better film than its Anglo-French equivalents, La Haine and Human Traffic. It's an angry film full of love for a group of people without love. A lean film telling a human tale with a perfectly apt cinematic style: snapshots of scenes in the last weeks of two young teenagers before their aimless anti-social behaviour catches up on them. It's a film of wonderfully human moments, such as the grins on the boys' faces when Jonas returns from an unexpected ride in a car from which he was stealing; the resignation on a young boy's face when he approaches the door of his dysfunctional home. The highlight is a beautifully acted scene when Jonas, having been kept behind by the supply teacher for falling asleep in class, pretends to be his own best friend, and naughtily tries to get the 'too careful' teacher to touch a hollow on his head.
12 Reviews
Engrossing enough
niwasan2 January 2003
I do not know much about Norway so I have no idea how realistic this movie is. Apparently that country has the highest standard of living in the world so the lives portrayed must not be typical.
But I can say that I thought it was well acted and directed. A worthy achievment in my opinion.
But I can say that I thought it was well acted and directed. A worthy achievment in my opinion.
I can't see what everybody finds so bad about this film.
H-o-n-g18 April 2003
Having first seen the film ages ago in 1999, I was quite impressed. I wanted to find a review of it but I couldn't (Its not called Schpaaa here), when I eventually found this site, I was quite dissapointed to see that there was a 5.7/10 rating. I thought, well you know, mabe it wasnt that great. But then I saw it again last night on SBS, and I was still impressed by it.
I think why this is rated so lowly is that the plot is highly unbelievable, Im no expert on Norway, but i'm sure Oslo does not have street kids that are involved with the Yugoslavian Mafia and deliver drugs and beat men up. But if it isn't real, the director has as sure as hell made it look real. He films the graffitied, dark forbidding parts of Oslo making the place seem bleak and inhabitable. The whole landscape is that of grey cement and heav y urbanization, it is certainly the dark side to the otherwise beautiful Norwegian city. The lives of these kids (the youngest being 11) are harsh and damaged, they commit crimes by the dozen are are rebels from mainstream Norwegian society. I think if this had been set in New York or London, it would be alot more believable than in Oslo.
What keeps this film going is the unlikely friendship forged between Jonas and Emir. Emir is the strongest of the "Bunch of Five" but he is constantly bullied by all the others except Jonas, who tries to prevent the ridicule. Emir -who has brain damage from a beating his father administered to him when he was young- frequently attacks Jonas with a knife or by strangling him, but yet the two remarkably still stay friends. Emir is stupid, but we see him constantly wishing for a better life which he knows he will never obtain. The last excruciating scenes are very violent, Emir is betrayed by the other boys and is beaten to a pulp (literally) but their friendship prevails and Jonas comes to his rescue.
I think my view of Schpaaa might be a little bias, considering I was these kids age only 4 years ago, so I can relate to them much better than any adult can.
If you like Ken Loach films or liked Bully or Kids, id reccomend this film to you.
Im giving this 7.5/10, but ill vote a 10 for it to bring its undeservedly low average up. A fine film, though if you ask me again about it when i am a 30 year old man in a boring job, I will probably say its crap. I would have lost the ability to enjoy this controversial teenage Norwegian hit by that time.
I think why this is rated so lowly is that the plot is highly unbelievable, Im no expert on Norway, but i'm sure Oslo does not have street kids that are involved with the Yugoslavian Mafia and deliver drugs and beat men up. But if it isn't real, the director has as sure as hell made it look real. He films the graffitied, dark forbidding parts of Oslo making the place seem bleak and inhabitable. The whole landscape is that of grey cement and heav y urbanization, it is certainly the dark side to the otherwise beautiful Norwegian city. The lives of these kids (the youngest being 11) are harsh and damaged, they commit crimes by the dozen are are rebels from mainstream Norwegian society. I think if this had been set in New York or London, it would be alot more believable than in Oslo.
What keeps this film going is the unlikely friendship forged between Jonas and Emir. Emir is the strongest of the "Bunch of Five" but he is constantly bullied by all the others except Jonas, who tries to prevent the ridicule. Emir -who has brain damage from a beating his father administered to him when he was young- frequently attacks Jonas with a knife or by strangling him, but yet the two remarkably still stay friends. Emir is stupid, but we see him constantly wishing for a better life which he knows he will never obtain. The last excruciating scenes are very violent, Emir is betrayed by the other boys and is beaten to a pulp (literally) but their friendship prevails and Jonas comes to his rescue.
I think my view of Schpaaa might be a little bias, considering I was these kids age only 4 years ago, so I can relate to them much better than any adult can.
If you like Ken Loach films or liked Bully or Kids, id reccomend this film to you.
Im giving this 7.5/10, but ill vote a 10 for it to bring its undeservedly low average up. A fine film, though if you ask me again about it when i am a 30 year old man in a boring job, I will probably say its crap. I would have lost the ability to enjoy this controversial teenage Norwegian hit by that time.
Not so good...
Tito3210 November 2002
A little mess of a movie, going from realistic and gritty to pretty ridiculous, all in couple of minutes. And back again. Big shot Yugo mobsters/drug dealers in Oslo are sending 13-14 year old kids to collect dope and beat the shi. out of some guy. No, really :)
Needless to say, from that moment on the movie has about as much credibility as your average politician. For a guy born in Oslo the director/writer is impressively clueless about its mafia elements. Massively overrated here in Norway, but thats the case with most of the urban movies made over here.
Soundtrack is cool and acting is so-so, with kids often delivering better than grown ups.
Needless to say, from that moment on the movie has about as much credibility as your average politician. For a guy born in Oslo the director/writer is impressively clueless about its mafia elements. Massively overrated here in Norway, but thats the case with most of the urban movies made over here.
Soundtrack is cool and acting is so-so, with kids often delivering better than grown ups.
Great Movie
dan_hughes25 August 2005
Schpaaa I researched this movie when I heard that Lene Marlin's Unforgivable Sinner had been used on the soundtrack. After a little difficulty I was able to get hold of the DVD from a website in the US. Having done so I was very glad I did and this will be a film that I will remember for a long time. Erik Poppe brings an amazing, mind blowing movie, the stunning cinematography, tight, fast editing and superb soundtrack kept me mesmerised from beginning to end. Schpaaa is probably one of the best films I have seen in a long time.
As a filmmaker myself I don't normally like to comment on the 'plot' or 'storyline' in movies but Schpaaa's was an eye opening insight into underworlds and organised crime that is present all over the world. Schpaaa to me had a particularly dark, yet not over dramatised feel to it.
Erik Poppe is a credit to the Norwegian film industry and I hope that he has more projects to come, I recommend to anyone who loves quality cinema to see Schpaaa, its amazing.
As a filmmaker myself I don't normally like to comment on the 'plot' or 'storyline' in movies but Schpaaa's was an eye opening insight into underworlds and organised crime that is present all over the world. Schpaaa to me had a particularly dark, yet not over dramatised feel to it.
Erik Poppe is a credit to the Norwegian film industry and I hope that he has more projects to come, I recommend to anyone who loves quality cinema to see Schpaaa, its amazing.
'Kids' in Oslo?
BjornUK4 March 1999
I saw Schpaaa at a Norwegian cinema where the home crowd greeted it with great enthusiasm, and with good reason too! The film, seemingly shot on low budget rests not on the trickery of the camera, but on the quality of the script. The film brings home the issue of the decay that is present on the streets of our cities today and uses the gritty realism of the lives of Oslo's less fortunate to the screen. The film shares similar traits with the 'Kids', has a similar subject matter and the filmic style can be seen as being closely related aswell. Surley this film would have been commended by Mr Bazin if he were alive today. If you have the opportunity, regardless of language barriers, see this film.
Erratic but decent.
Rodrigo_Amaro6 October 2013
"A Bunch of Five" works best if you imagine a less depressive and teen version of "Of Mice and Man" involving youth gangs, drugs and violence. But it's also a tale about an undying and unusual friendship between Jonas and Emir. 14 year-old Jonas (Maikel Andressen Abou-Zelof) is very protective of Emir (Jalal Zahedjekta), an older, bigger but heated and troubled kid who tends to be a violent type who always goes for people's heads when he has to fight, himself a victim of violent abuses when he was younger, hit on the head by his father and now a burden to everybody due to his stupid acts. All Jonas have to do is to keep Mir, as he call, under control. And both are part of a group of teen robbers who keep doing their business as usual until the day Emir gets mixed up with two different tasks given by his uncle (to beat up one guy and give drugs to another) causing a catastrophic problem for everyone involved.
Although highly inconsistent, erratic and mildly unbelievable to some (but such gangs were part of Norway's past as strange as it may look), the movie delivers an effective story about friendship and companion, though often eclipsed by the movie's rush in presenting non fulfilling thrilling moments (well filmed but losing in effect sometimes - except the video store robbery and the police chase right after it, those were great). There's nothing new in terms of what kind of crimes they commit, the obstacles the group has to face against the police, drug dealers and other criminals, and even against themselves - obviously you can see those happening in plenty of other movies. And "Schpaaa" is an easy ride, more preoccupied in providing suspense and action sequences than to really focus on the drama of educated kids who prefer to steal than to find something useful to do. Thinking of that, the movie can be unappealing to some because it's not gritty and harsh like "Pixote" was, a truly great film and I don't know why but while I was watching "Schpaaa" I kept remembering that movie. I guess that was a way to say that no matter what you put in those kind of movies, nothing will ever get near "Pixote" grandiosity.
At the end of the day, you still have a good watchable movie with pleasant performances by the young cast, specially the main characters. 8/10
Although highly inconsistent, erratic and mildly unbelievable to some (but such gangs were part of Norway's past as strange as it may look), the movie delivers an effective story about friendship and companion, though often eclipsed by the movie's rush in presenting non fulfilling thrilling moments (well filmed but losing in effect sometimes - except the video store robbery and the police chase right after it, those were great). There's nothing new in terms of what kind of crimes they commit, the obstacles the group has to face against the police, drug dealers and other criminals, and even against themselves - obviously you can see those happening in plenty of other movies. And "Schpaaa" is an easy ride, more preoccupied in providing suspense and action sequences than to really focus on the drama of educated kids who prefer to steal than to find something useful to do. Thinking of that, the movie can be unappealing to some because it's not gritty and harsh like "Pixote" was, a truly great film and I don't know why but while I was watching "Schpaaa" I kept remembering that movie. I guess that was a way to say that no matter what you put in those kind of movies, nothing will ever get near "Pixote" grandiosity.
At the end of the day, you still have a good watchable movie with pleasant performances by the young cast, specially the main characters. 8/10
Impressive Opera Prima
EdgarST16 January 2022
«Schpaaa», Pakistani slang adopted in Oslo to indicate what is good or "cool", is the title of the daring debut feature by Norwegian cinematographer Erik Poppe, when he turned to direction. It has the flaws you can expect when someone first ventures into new directions, but it has a passion and a desire to show the inner city in Oslo, the city of migrant children, subject to the violence and degradation, kids that do not live, only subsist.
Told with a touch of documentary filmmaking, it is the story of a small gang, seen through the eyes of the smartest boy, Jonas (Maikel Andressen Abou-Zelof), who, like Keitel had DeNiro «Mean Streets», has his own Johnny Boy, named Amir here (Jalal Zahedjekta); an inept leader, and two vicious small boys who have just gotten out of diapers.
As I watched it, I remembered the prophecies of a seer whose name I forgot, who predicted the destruction of Europe; and thought that it would be quite realistic that the emigrants coming from so many countries bled dry by Europe, will be active participants in that fall.
In the end, I pass the melodramatic bursts and musical effects, and appreciate more that Poppe started as director with a dramatic trio of movies united by a city, the Oslo Trilogy. After «Schpaaa,» Poppe did «Hawaii-Oslo» and then «Troubled Waters,» to complete his urban triptych. And a separate note deserves the interpreter, Abou-Zelof, whose personal drama turns the film into a fairy tale. You can read the long testimonial he posted on Facebook, with the help of Google translate. Real drama. 3/5.
Told with a touch of documentary filmmaking, it is the story of a small gang, seen through the eyes of the smartest boy, Jonas (Maikel Andressen Abou-Zelof), who, like Keitel had DeNiro «Mean Streets», has his own Johnny Boy, named Amir here (Jalal Zahedjekta); an inept leader, and two vicious small boys who have just gotten out of diapers.
As I watched it, I remembered the prophecies of a seer whose name I forgot, who predicted the destruction of Europe; and thought that it would be quite realistic that the emigrants coming from so many countries bled dry by Europe, will be active participants in that fall.
In the end, I pass the melodramatic bursts and musical effects, and appreciate more that Poppe started as director with a dramatic trio of movies united by a city, the Oslo Trilogy. After «Schpaaa,» Poppe did «Hawaii-Oslo» and then «Troubled Waters,» to complete his urban triptych. And a separate note deserves the interpreter, Abou-Zelof, whose personal drama turns the film into a fairy tale. You can read the long testimonial he posted on Facebook, with the help of Google translate. Real drama. 3/5.
It deserves a higher score
marinokozul17 May 2019
I'm giving it a 10 because I just think it's unjust for it to be scored at 6.0
The movie depicts five boys who struggle in the "ghetto" and urban sides of Oslo, their daily life and actions. I don't think Oslo is really like this, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a very chilling movie. Some of the scenes are cheesy and some dialogue is poorly preformed by the secondary characters but the main actors did a pretty god job. Despite not being from Norway, these Norweigan flicks like Uno(2004) and this one have some unexplainable charm to it.
The movie depicts five boys who struggle in the "ghetto" and urban sides of Oslo, their daily life and actions. I don't think Oslo is really like this, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a very chilling movie. Some of the scenes are cheesy and some dialogue is poorly preformed by the secondary characters but the main actors did a pretty god job. Despite not being from Norway, these Norweigan flicks like Uno(2004) and this one have some unexplainable charm to it.
A schpaaa movie
Agnes-1229 November 1998
For those of you who doesn't know, schpaa is norwegian slang and means cool or great. The movie "Schpaaa" is about five boys between the age 12-16, who lives in Oslo East. Drugs, skipping school, beating up people, robbing shops and stealing is a part of their everyday life. I think the movie is really great and very realistic.
Norwegian realism
the_oak9 October 2001
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** A gang of disillusioned 14 years old boys walk around in Oslo, running some errands for the Yoguslav mafia. Then they beat up the wrong guy and give away some heroin to the wrong person, and they are suddenly in a lot of trouble. One of the boys is a bosnian who was hit in the head by his father as a baby, and everyone want to touch the indentation in his head. He is really a smart person, but everyone call him stupid. His relationship with his norwegian mate is the driving force in this movie. This is a bit like Kids, but with norwegian realism.
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