Mannen som elsket Yngve (2008)

	Directed by: Stian Kristiansen	COUNTRY Norway GENRE Drama/Comedy INTERNATIONAL TITLE The Man Who Loved Yngve RUNNING TIME 90 minutes
	Produced by: Yngve Sæther
	Written by (from his own book): Tore Renberg

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Jarle Klepp	Rolf Kristian Larsen	½
Yngve Lima	Ole Christoffer Ertvåg
Cathrine Halsnes	Ida Elise Broch
Helge	Arthur Berning	½
Jarles mor	Trine Wiggen
Jarles far	Jørgen Langhelle
Frisør	Kristoffer Joner
Oljeungen	Erlend Stene
Andreas	Knut Sverdrup Kleppestø
Yngves mor	Karoline Kruger

Review

Welcome back to Norway of the 1980s – a time when kids were either "freaks" or "soss" – either oppositional, anti-capitalistic rockers or slickly dressed, synth-pop-loving jocks. In Stian Kristiansen's Mannen som elsket Yngve (The Man Who Loved Yngve), we are brought vividly 19 years back in time to relive those wonderful, frustrating years of youth with an unlikely unit of people from Stavanger. The centre of the group is the companionable Jarle. He's blessed with a great deal of confidence and popularity, has two good friends and a beautiful girl, but still keeps searching for his true identity. His friends are anti-pop, button-wearing rockers who detest the yuppie culture and are willing to do almost anything to maintain their integrity. Their friendships and their somewhat up-and-coming rock band are the only things sacred to them. Then one day, there's a new kid in class. Yngve is different, both in appearance and tone. He listens to arty synth pop (Japan), plays tennis, and wears fashionable clothes. Jarle is intrigued; his friends are not.

Mannen som elsket Yngve is not an easy film to conceive. Its aspirations and objectives are diverse, complex, and not at all straightforward. The director is first-timer Stian Kristiansen, and his work here is absolutely brilliant. He manages to combine a spoof of / homage to the time in question with timeless, profound discussions on identity, sexual orientation, and youth. Rolf Kristian Larsen, who is emerging as one of the greatest Norwegian acting talents at present, is used wisely as an instrument for the film's many shifts in mood and tone. These shifts are Kristiansen's best feat – he balances his film around them with impressive rhythm and flair, alternating between comedy and serious drama with perfect timing, and thus constantly avoiding wearing you out or making you uncomfortable.

Tore Renberg's perceptive script is full of insight. He is familiar with the different archetypes upon which he bases his characters, but he makes them very human. Through the brilliant performances, we're learning about real people rather than observing puppets. This may well be among the best acting ensembles ever in a Norwegian film. And impressively, except for Trine Wiggen and Ida Elise Broch, they are all local Rogaland-based actors. Ole Christoffer Ertvåg and Arthur Berning both make promising debuts (the latter is a refreshing comedic talent), and the fine Wiggen is developing into the Norwegian equivalent of Frances McDormand.

Mannen som elsket Yngve is simultaneously an important and an uplifting film – which is no easy feat. It presents its joyful segments equally convincingly as it does its more serious subjects. How many well-directed, vividly portrayed high school/college house parties have you seen recently? Well, here is one you'll definitely enjoy, in what is probably the best Norwegian picture of the year.