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Mors Elling (2003)

Director:
Eva Isaksen
COUNTRY
Norway
GENRE
Drama/Comedy
INTERNATIONAL TITLE
Mother's Elling
RUNNING TIME
78 minutes
Producer:
Dag Alveberg
Screenwriter (basert på Ingvar Ambjørnsens bok):
Alex Hellstenius


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Elling Per Christian Ellefsen ½
Mor Grete Nordrå
Bugge-Høvik Helge Reiss ½
Mag Christin Borge
Georg Per Schaaning
Grete Iversen Lena Meieran
Flyvertinne Ane Dahl Torp

 

Review

Mors Elling (filmatic successor and logical predecessor to the award winning Elling) has Per Christian Ellefsen returning as Ingvar Abjørnsen's mental case Elling. This time, the focus is on his tight-knit (to say the least) relation to his mother (wonderfully portrayed by Grete Nordrå). However, for the first half of its running-time, Eva Isaksen's film is constrained and unvigorous. Ellefsen takes some time to settle back into the role, and until he does, the film struggles to engage. The final part has some nice moments and touches, including a delightful scene between Ellefsen and veteran voice-over actor Harald Mæle. There's some useful sentimentality too, but as a whole, Mors Elling is too much of a narrative letdown.

Copyright © 12.9.2006 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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