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Movies / On DVD / Elling
Elling

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Elling (2002)

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Reviews Counted:58

Fresh:49

Rotten:9

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Quirky without being overly cutesy, Elling is a gentle, warm comedy.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and some sexual content

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:May 29, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $63,227

Synopsis: Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) is a neurotic middle-aged man who has led an extremely sheltered life and is institutionalized after his mother's death triggers a nervous breakdown. Upon being... Elling (Per Christian Ellefsen) is a neurotic middle-aged man who has led an extremely sheltered life and is institutionalized after his mother's death triggers a nervous breakdown. Upon being discharged, he is given a flat in Oslo to share with his friend and fellow patient Kjell Bjarne (Sven Nordin), a food-loving would-be womanizer whose loutish behavior occasionally proves taxing to the fastidious Elling. At first both men are paralyzed by separation anxiety and fear of the outside world, and simple tasks like grocery shopping or making a phone call present major challenges. Once Kjell Bjarne decides to venture beyond the confines of their home, however, his unlikely infatuation with a lonely pregnant woman (Marit Pia Jacobsen) causes a rift between the two friends, prompting Elling to start forging social contacts and seek a calling of his own. Without delving deeply into the clinical aspects of mental illness, this lighthearted comedy presents a convincing and utterly sympathetic portrait of socially challenged people coping with everyday situations. The movie was a huge box office hit in its native Norway and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film of 2001. [More]

Starring: Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin, Per Christiansen, Jorgen Langhelle

Starring: Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin, Per Christiansen, Jorgen Langhelle, Marit Pia Jacobsen, Hilde Olausson

Director: Peter Naess

Director: Peter Naess
Screenwriter: Axel Hellstenius
Producer: Dag Alveberg
Composer: Lars Lillo-Stenberg
Studio: First Look

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 19, 2002

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Elling

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/22/08
Gunnar Rehlin
Gunnar Rehlin
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A pleasant surprise.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
10/15/03
Jurgen Fauth
Jurgen Fauth
About.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/23/03
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/21/03
David Parkinson
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/05/03
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

Just because the characters are crazy, that doesn't mean they are not smart.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
04/02/03
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
03/25/03
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
03/16/03
This is London
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: FilmFour.com | comment Comment
03/14/03
FilmFour.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
03/12/03
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

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.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/05/03
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

By maintaining a modest stance and a gentle, affectionate tone it emerges as winning rather than wearying.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
12/31/02
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/16/02
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Tedious Norwegian offering which somehow snagged an Oscar nomination.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Phil Hall
Phil Hall
Film Threat

A sweet film about two gentle souls - there is a genuine caring between them that feels like watching old friends.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
12/06/02
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

It's affectionate and optimistic without being fuzzy.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/05/02
Philip Wuntch
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

immanently worthy of its Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/17/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
11/09/02
Houston Chronicle
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