Elling (2001)

84% of critics liked it
(58 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(6,536 ratings)

Following up on his acclaimed debut Absolute Hangover, Petter Naess spins this feel-good drama about a pair of misfits trying to get along with each other and the outside world. Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) is a neurotic, shy would-be writer who still lives with his mother. That is at least until… More Following up on his acclaimed debut Absolute Hangover, Petter Naess spins this feel-good drama about a pair of misfits trying to get along with each other and the outside world. Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) is a neurotic, shy would-be writer who still lives with his mother. That is at least until she dies, and poor Elling is cast of the house by the health department and sent to state institution. While Elling has no experience with the outside world -- though he has a very active interior world -- his roommate Kjell Bjarne is a sex-obsessed hulk mass of a man raring to get out. Initially, these two wildly different guys get along famously. Only when they move into public housing together do cracks develop in their relationship. Elling refuses to leave the apartment or answer the phone, and tries to restrict Kjell-Bjarne's movement as well. When the brawny lothario shacks up with the girl next door, Elling goes ballistic with jealousy. Does Elling accept his lack of control of the world or does he retreat into himself? This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Petter Naess
Written By: Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Axel Hellstenius
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: May 29, 2002 Limited
On DVD: Nov 19, 2002
Studio: First Look Pictures

Critic Reviews

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News
It's affectionate and optimistic without being fuzzy.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
A charming but slight comedy.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Elling, portrayed with quiet fastidiousness by Per Christian Ellefsen, is a truly singular character, one whose frailties are only slightly magnified versions of the ones that vex nearly everyone.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Touches smartly and wistfully on a number of themes, not least the notion that the marginal members of society ... might benefit from a helping hand and a friendly kick in the pants.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It is refreshingly undogmatic about its characters.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
A witty and sophisticated sensibility brings individuality to the classic odd-couple comedy.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
really is about a couple of crazy guys, and it's therapeutic
Jurgen Fauth, About.com
A pleasant surprise.
Ian Waldron-Mantgani, UK Critic
Just because the characters are crazy, that doesn't mean they are not smart.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The pleasing acting jobs by the two protagonists makes all this sugar easier to swallow, but not enough to find this film anything more than a mere diversion.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
By maintaining a modest stance and a gentle, affectionate tone it emerges as winning rather than wearying.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Tedious Norwegian offering which somehow snagged an Oscar nomination.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
A sweet film about two gentle souls - there is a genuine caring between them that feels like watching old friends.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
immanently worthy of its Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

I am really amazed at how much I liked this movie. At first I had my doubts, but then I just found myself unable to turn it off. These two guys were a hoot! I like how it all turned out. Very nice.
Randy T

Touching and delightful! Two middle-aged, mentally challenged men team up to live as roommates in urban Oslo. Somehow , their odd, symbiotic relationship allows them to cope with the day-to-day challenges of independent living. Even though their methods might be peculiar, the… More
Touching and delightful! Two middle-aged, mentally challenged men team up to live as roommates in urban Oslo. Somehow , their odd, symbiotic relationship allows them to cope with the day-to-day challenges of independent living. Even though their methods might be peculiar, the results are frequently hilarious and sometimes inspirational. Thank you Norway for this wonderful gem of a film.
Lanning :

As Monk says, no friendship is perfect. A kind, quirky, and quiet look at friendship and mental illness. Long live the Sauerkraut Poet!
Theta S

I went to see the stage production based on this Norwegian film in London in 2007 and due to my enjoyment, I bought the film. Per Christian Ellefsen stars as Elling, a man recently released from a state institution. He is shy, neurotic, obsessively neat and tidy, agoraphobic and… More
I went to see the stage production based on this Norwegian film in London in 2007 and due to my enjoyment, I bought the film. Per Christian Ellefsen stars as Elling, a man recently released from a state institution. He is shy, neurotic, obsessively neat and tidy, agoraphobic and is unable to operate in the real world as his mother handled all of his decision making processes for the first 40 years of his life. As part of his release into the community, he is required to share a state funded apartment with fellow released patient, Kjell Bjarne, portrayed by Sven Nordin. Kjell Bjarne is the total opposite loud mouthed and foul mouthed, scruffy and sex obsessed. If he isn't thinking about sex, he's talking to Elling about sex and if he isn't talking to Elling about sex, he is running up phone sex bills of 4000 Krone. The conditions of their release are seemingly simple, they must prove to their social worker that they can operate as normal members of society or they lose the apartment, but when going to the grocery store to shop is a major challenge how can they meet their release conditions? Through two chance meetings, Elling with poet and author Alfons Jorgensen (Per Christensen) and Kjell Bjarn's meeting and subsequent romance with pregnant neighbour Reidun Nordsletten (Marit Pia Jacobsen), the pair look to unconventional methods to cope with the society that is unleashed on their existence. As this is a foreign language film, you are reliant on the subtitles. However, you can see from Ellefsen's and Nordin's performances that this is your basic "odd couple" storyline. Ellefsen's portrayal is that of small compact spring - a bundle of nervous energy which looks to take up as little screen film as possible. Elling's voice is that for the majority of the film as you hear his opinions of his relationship with Kjell Bjarne and of life in general. As befitting a man with a large personality, the portrayal of Kjell Bjarne is a big bear of a character, when he's loud he's very loud. When he swears or talks about sex it's for all the world to hear. This is a darkly comic script which deals with life problems. However, the script never mocks the issue of mental health and you laugh with Elling and Kjell Bjarn and not mockingly at them. Whilst this is a film that won't change your life and delivers quiet chuckles rather than belly laughs, please seek this out in your home entertainment store to rent. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Lesley N

Gently underplayed sweet story about two men getting it together in the real world after release from a Norwegian state home, with the help of not-so-gentle prods from their care worker. I completely and utterly loved this film.
Stefan P

Pretty funny but most of all heart-warming. Great acting and nice music. Unfortunately I could relate to the thoughts and actions of the asocial characters which made the movie both enjoyable and a bit disturbing for me.
Wu C

Funny & touching. This film may induce tears. Deserving of an Oscar nomination.