Norwegian writer-director Bent Hamer continues to examine his isolated elderly countrymen with dry humanist humor and an eye for everyday absurdity. In “Kitchen Stories” (2003) a Swedish market researcher hired to observe the kitchen habits of an old Norwegian bachelor breaks protocol. Muted companionship ensues. Now Hamer observes Odd Horten (Bard Owe), a pipe-smoking train engineer on the occasion of his retirement from the Oslo-Bergen run. A daisychain of slips and mishaps leads the sturdy, taciturn Horten on a snowy odyssey among Oslo strangers. A.O. Scott at the New York Times nicely characterized as “Keatonesque” the quandaries negotiated by Horten the all-around improviser. Epiphanies slip through the interstices. In honoring his elders, Hamer dedicates this affectionate, if dour character study this way: “In memory of my mother and all other female ski jumpers.” With Espen Skjønberg, Githa Nørby, Bjørn Floberg, Kai Remlov, Henny Moan, Bjarte Hjelmeland. 90m. (Bill Stamets)
Related Stories
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Norwegian writer-director Bent Hamer continues to examine his isolated elderly countrymen with dry humanist humor and an eye for everyday absurdity. In “Kitchen Stories” (2003) a Swedish market researcher hired to observe the kitchen habits of an old Norwegian bachelor breaks protocol. Muted companionship ensues. Now Hamer observes Odd Horten (Bard Owe), a pipe-smoking train engineer on the occasion of his retirement from the Oslo-Bergen run. A daisychain of slips and mishaps leads the sturdy, taciturn Horten on a snowy odyssey among Oslo strangers. A.O. Scott at the New York Times nicely characterized as “Keatonesque” the quandaries negotiated by Horten the all-around improviser. Epiphanies slip through the interstices. In honoring his elders, Hamer dedicates this affectionate, if dour character study this way: “In memory of my mother and all other female ski jumpers.” With Espen Skjønberg, Githa Nørby, Bjørn Floberg, Kai Remlov, Henny Moan, Bjarte Hjelmeland. 90m. (Bill Stamets)
