(2001; Norwegian) In "an attempt to return to reality," two men, roommates for two years in an institution for the mentally disturbed, are given a welfare apartment, so long as they make progress toward conducting themselves in a civilized manner.

Friendless and agoraphobic, Elling (Per Christian Elletsen), a gregarious but delicate man with a sense of culture, had lived for 40 years with his mother until she died, after which (the authorities found him hiding inside a closet) he "just wanted to be left alone." His roommate Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin), a big blond oaf (Elling calls him an orangutan), in need of "a spiritual guide," is opposite in every way, wanting to meet chicks and finally get laid.

The odd couple, realistically realized and brought to life by superbly convincing performances, in director Petter Næss tenderhearted/ foulmouthed comedy, was conceived in Ingvar Ambjørnsen's novel, Brødre i blodet (Me, My Friend and I) and adopted into a screenplay by Axel Hellstenius and Larry Stuckey.

Purchasing tickets for the train to Oslo - when the ticket salesman asks: "Yes?," Elling replies: "Yes!" - "One way?" says the ticket salesman; "There are more ways?" answers Elling.

In Oslo they are met by their social worker Frank Asli (Jørgen Langhelle), who warns them that others are waiting to take their place if they can't make good on this chance. Elling's first outing to buy groceries, accompanied by his dizziness and anxiety demons, ends in failure. While Kjell does the shopping, Elling stays inside doing domestic chores.

Deciding to sleep in the same bedroom, as they had done at the institute, they argue over whether to use the spare bedroom as a library or workshop. Elling hangs revered pictures of his mother on the walls beside Kjell's pinups.

Frank instructs Elling on how to answer a telephone, which Elling finds frightening (his mother always answered it) and unnatural, speaking into a plastic device without being able to see to whom he's speaking. But when Kjell discovers phone sex, they run up a $4,000 bill in the first month.

Upon his successfully accompanying Kjell to a local restaurant for a meal of pork and gravy, Elling even works up the courage to use the public restroom and then calls Frank to report their outing.

On Christmas Eve the two men give each other gifts: Elling receives a beautifully crafted model of their apartment building Kjell constructed in his spare time; Kjell is overjoyed with the wristwatch (a blonde female on the face) Elling presents to him. Outside on the stairs they find an unconscious inebriated pregnant woman (Christmas Eve is her birthday) who lives in the same building.

While Kjell carries Reidun Norsletten (Marit Pia Jacobsen) up to her flat, Elling receives inspiration (the image of raven hair and an angel in a womb) to write his first-ever poem. Along with fixing her faucets and performing other chores for Reidun, Kjell falls in love but lacks the means to speak to her; when frustrated he strikes his head on objects or pounds the walls.

Prudish Elling (though once when he got drunk he tried to sell his mother to his friends), objecting to Kjell's allowing himself to be exploited by a woman who's been abandoned by her baby-to-be's father, declines an invitation to her apartment for dinner; instead he goes out alone (surprised at not being accompanied by his demons) to a poetry meeting where he meets Alfons Jørgensen (Per Christensen), an older man who says of the reading: "The worse it is, the more they clap."

Walking together and eating hot dogs, Alfons (who will later be identified as a notable poet in his own right), after saying that madness is poetry's fount, thanks Elling (who nearly divulges his own poem only to remind himself that as the underground "Sauerkraut Poet E," he must remain anonymous) for being kind enough to waste time for a stroll: "Some people pretend, but you really are crazy."

When Elling introduces his roommate to Alfons, who'd sprained an ankle and needed to be carried to the toilet, Kjell falls in love with the poet's '58 Buick Century Hardtop, not driven since 1979 when Alfons's wife died. After Kjell the auto mechanic brings the vehicle back to life, Alfons drives his two new friends and Reidun out to his lakeside cabin for a weekend where Kjell has to choose between sleeping in a room with Reidun or Elling.

Of course, he chooses Reidun but (not having bathed or laundered his clothes for several days) borrows Elling's underwear. There are many ways in which to appreciate this exceptional film.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2009 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .