Inspired by Lars von Trier's "The Idiots" to come up with a kinder, gentler film and a chance for Gerard Depardieu's stunt double to get a starring role.....um.....no.I actually thought the earlier review and "The Odd Couple" reference is pretty spot on. And as that spawned a TV show, apparently this comes as part of a trilogy. That kind of surprised me.The film will not surprise so much, but if you let yourself not worry about the diabetes of your soul and enjoy the treacle, it works just fine. I watched the first maybe 2/3 the night before, and for whatever reason was thinking more about adults in such situations, woke up and then accepting these dramatic devices to portray some simple cinematypes (uptight outcast who must accept himself and others pitted next to the heart-of-gold headless hoss-hunk) and sure you root for them knowing that, unlike in life, their happiness is guaranteed, and they will find a way in the world.I did enjoy the professor/poet introduction much more than the hoss-hunk's heroine.And the message that pretty much all people feel like outcasts who don't fit in, but plenty of us (well maybe not me, so plenty of you) find a way somehow is reassuring.

What happens when you leave home for the first time? The real world is not a happy place and the first push to independence, no matter at what age, is never easy. Two men, Elling and Kjell are released from a mental hospital, given an apartment paid for by the government, and try to live a normal life. Of course, if you have been in a mental hospital, your sense of normal is a little bit warped. Naturally the film is filled with funny moments that build and build making you laugh and laugh. I truly felt like I was a cheerleader rooting for them to get simple tasks done and I got frustrated at points watching them fumble with easy tasks.The help of a friend and simple hard work provide foundation to be successful. Elling has a support system allowing him to attempt to live a "normal life". Elling has his friend, Kjell, who is in the same boat as Elling. Because Elling and Kjell are in the same boat, creates friendly competition to push forward and valuable learning experiences for the pair. Both men need each other to face the world for the first time.As a college student, I really related to the theme of independence. Even though Elling is much older than a college student, he faces struggles with getting the basic necessities such as food while trying to prove he is normal. In most human household's, parents will give their children more and more responsibility. After watching the film, I will never think of shopping or cooking the same way. In a bird's nest, the momma bird pushes her children out to force them to fly and take independence. Elling and Kjell experienced the bird's route. This makes independence more difficult to achieve because they had no experience. Therefore when they accomplish simple tasks like shopping or cooking, you can't help but feel happy for them.After someone is released from a mental hospital, he or she needs to identity what is normal, attempt to imitate, and fashion his or her lives after what is normal. Therefore this film is absolutely hilarious. What you think might be common knowledge or easy to figure out can be a struggle for someone else. Their struggles are like someone who time traveled to the twenty-first century from the nineteenth century because people still look the same, but the new technology, the hustle and bustle of life, and a brand new environment creates stress and trouble.Elling makes the Norwegian welfare system seem like a free checking account. In Norway, the citizens have to pay a huge amount of taxes to support expensive programs because the state pays for them. Therefore Kjell and Elling have it pretty easy, because the other taxpayers support them. Elling shows the flaws with a social state. The people who are making a lot of money pay to support those who are not making much money. Then the people who are not making much money have no incentive to work harder because the rich support them. Elling and Kjell think they are pretty tricky with their style of survival and have no motivation to change their living habits.Kjell has a serious sexual desire that is hard to satisfy. The fact that Kjell and Elling were in the hospital for social problems makes Kjell's attempts for sex seem pathetic. In my opinion, Kjell was released from the mental hospital and now he has the world open to him and sex is just one aspect of independence. Therefore he thinks sex will help deal with stress daily necessities. Also his sexual appetite could be driven by his desire to feel like a man because he may have felt that the mental hospital took away his masculinity.In conclusion, I felt that this movie gave me a great sense that I am successful at life. But then I realized I was feeling successful because this movie was about men who were released from a mental hospital. I laughed at myself because I have never been put into a mental hospital, nor am I completely independent of my parents therefore I can't really compare myself to Elling, and someone's daily struggles should not be laughed at, but I could not help laughing uncontrollably all throughout the Elling. Overall this was funny movie with scenes that will make you laugh so hard you have to hit the pause and rewind button five times!!!! I truly felt like I was a cheerleader rooting for them to get simple tasks done.

Elling is the lighthearted story of two roommates living in downtown Oslo. Elling is a self- proclaimed mama's boy, and has been for forty years. When his mother dies, however, the state comes to bring him to an institution. There he and Kjell Bjarne, a kind but women-obsessed man, first meet as roommates. After two years there, they are moved by way of welfare to an apartment in Oslo. As the two men struggle to get accustomed to life very much on their own, tensions sometimes rise and angers flare. However, the men discover many advantages to life on their own as well as developing their friendship further and further. Elling is upbeat throughout its plot and a fun film to watch.One of the major themes presented in this film is that of anxiety over feelings of personal safety. Elling has great anxiety and dizziness problems when he leaves their new apartment. After years of staying at home with only his mother for company, he also shuns talking on the phone and doesn't like to answer the door when visitors come. This desire to keep entirely to himself and Kjell Bjarne seems to rise from a fear of the unknown, a fear of being unsafe and not entirely in control. One of Elling's proudest moments is when he is able to use a public bathroom. He says of this personal triumph, "some people go skiing to the North Pole, while I have problems just crossing a restaurant floor." Kjell Bjarne also struggles with this, but to a much lesser extent. Kjell Bjarne sometimes is okay with not answering the phone, such as when they first move in, and he has a fear of talking to women. However, he has a very kind heart and has a weakness for helping people which leads him to make some new acquaintances. The characters both are able to overcome much of their anxieties by the end of the film.Another theme in Elling is that of companionship. Elling and Kjell Bjarne develop a very caring relationship. Throughout the film, however, their friendship must survive jealousy and an unhealthy dependency. Elling gets jealous easily, and they both rely heavily on each other. Like any truly lighthearted film, however, Kjell Bjarne and Elling make it through with their relationship all the stronger and healthier.Throughout the plot, the theme of finding one's place in the world is present as well. This appears in the effect of welfare support, the call of fame, and the search for meaningful relationships. Elling and Kjell Bjarne were able to stay in the apartment, as well as getting a stipend for food and other needs, from the state's money. And while the welfare system isn't glorified, the message of the film seems to be in support of how effective welfare can be in helping people. It is implied that both having their own apartment and having a figure to practically drag them to a more social and less closed-off lifestyle is extremely responsibly for the roommates' progress. Elling also feels the call of fame after he discovers how much he likes writing poetry. He debates claiming glory for his poems, yet he ignores this impulse, instead anonymously sending his poems to random people through sauerkraut packets. In this he finds happiness, not in the possible fame he gives up. This shows a lot both about his character and about the cost of fame. Kjell Bjarne and Elling also search for meaningful relationships throughout the film. These relationships help the characters, seeming to send the message that relationships help to shape and support people. Alfons Jorgensen and Reidun Nordsletten both contribute to the story by helping Elling and Kjell Bjarne to overcome some of their obstacles.The plot of this story was delightful and clear. It was very character-driven and without much action, yet it was charming. Unlike another very popular Norwegian film, Hawaii, Oslo, the storyline was straightforward and chronological. The tone of this story was warm and uplifting. The use of light colors and upbeat music, with little special effects, dramatic camera angles, or ominous color contrasts set the stage for the simple storyline. This simplicity was abundant throughout the film, and mirrored the theme of safety which is faced by the characters as well as bringing a sense of sympathy and closeness with the characters and their trials and triumphs.As the tag line says, "They're packed and ready for the greatest adventure of their lives. All they have to do is get out of the house," (IMDb.com). This is one adventure which is purposeful, delightful, and a great hit, and not to be missed!

Sometimes, the smallest rocks make the biggest ripples. This is certainly the case in Peter Næss' Elling, where the bond between two friends affects lives both on-screen and off. While elements of a commentary on Norwegian mental health are present, the film's strengths rely heavily on the friendship between the main character Elling and his roommate Kjell Bjarne as they traverse a world familiar to us, but new to them.Part of what makes Elling so enjoyable is its ability to engage the audience's personal history. Per Christian Ellefsen plays the high-strung Elling as he attempts to adapt into contemporary society. Found alone after his mother's death, he is sent to a state-funded institution in Oslo to learn how to live within the realm of the general public. There, he is paired with another patient who, through sexually-charged escapades, bring the two outside the city and into the dangerous outdoors. But the danger isn't nature - it's society. Elling's nervous troubles, combined with effective filmic techniques, mirror the struggles that many viewers may have faced when trying to fit into the world around them. Elling's experiences are amplified, however, by an unnamed and crippling mental disorder that causes him to collapse, sometimes literally, at the thought of social interaction. Several plot points in the film are dedicated to Elling's adventures into the dangerous public sphere around him. One such instance involves Elling's attempt to visit the local store to obtain groceries. The camera stands far back, revealing the wide scope of the world that Elling must conquer in order to achieve his goal. The sounds of traffic are artificially enhanced as Elling slowly waddles to his destination. The audience then finds him slumped on the ground outside the store, unable to will himself inside. At first, Elling fails miserably with every attempt to adapt, giving in to his hesitations and concerns. The film concludes lightheartedly, though, and the audience is left with little less than admiration for Elling. The film's ability to allow audiences to relate to the unfolding drama is part of what makes it such a satisfying product to watch.Another of Elling's strengths is the use of the dynamic between the two leads. Juxtaposing the stickler-like behavior of Elling is the gentle brute Kjell Bjarne, played by Sven Nordin. The two are paired in an attempt to better rehabilitate each other, and their humorous differences are what drive the film. The several instances of Elling criticizing Kjell Bjarne for his reckless behavior are the most memorable moments of Elling. For example, when Kjell Bjarne begins aiding a sickly woman named Rediun (played by Marit Pia Jacobsen) in a nearby apartment, Elling bombards his friend with a worry-filled rant before Kjell Bjarne forcibly inserts Elling into bed for the night. As the film progresses and Elling begins to understand the world around him, it becomes clear that it is Kjell Bjarne's friendly influence that helps expedite Elling's recovery.Elling also serves, in a broader sense, as a commentary on mental health in Norway and its treatment. Director Peter Næss explicitly stated that he "did not want to make the film about psychiatry." He achieves this desire by purposefully avoiding the specific disabilities that plague both Elling and Kjell Bjarne. Instead, the details are left to the viewer's imagination. In addition, Næss uses the character of the social worker Frank, played by Jørgen Langhelle, to help mediate the societal adaptation for the two main characters. However, Frank is not gentle in his assistance and is quick to anger. One scene pits Frank against Elling as the social worker teaches proper telephone-answering behavior. Elling's insecurities cause the scene to erupt into a shouting match about the practicality of plastic speaking devices. Serving as a tough-loving father figure for the two men, Frank represents the Nordic state and its solution to the mentally handicapped.Films like Elling are unfortunately few and far between. Many films fail to capture the universality of the main character's situation quite like Næss has done. And compared to other Nordic films, Elling is certainly a step away from its overtly tense and sexually- prevalent peers. Although the film failed to win the "Best Foreign Film" Oscar, Elling is, to this day, one of this reviewer's personal favorites. Its uplifting message and enjoyable story continue to positively affect my perspective of quality films. As I watch and share with others, its influence spreads, like ripples in a pond.