Me, My Friend and I
Original Title
Elling- Director: Petter Næss
- Writer: Ingvar Ambjørnsen; Axel Hellstenius
- Producer: Dag Alveberg
CGiii Comment
A most worthy Oscar nominee...
It takes a little time before it settles...but, when it does, the tenderness on display oozes utter charm.
Næss' composition is, for want of a better word, quirky...needless to say not everyone will appreciate it. Those that do...are in for a treat.
The performances develop substantially throughout...and, by the end, the feel-good factor will leave you with a massive smile upon your face.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
When his mother, who has sheltered him his entire 40 years, dies, Elling, a sensitive, would-be poet, is sent to live in a state institution. There he meets Kjell Bjarne, a gentle giant and female-obsessed virgin in his 40s. After two years, the men are released and provided with a state-funded apartment and stipend with the hope they will be able to live on their own. Initially, the simple act of going around the corner for groceries is a challenge. Through a friendship born of desperate dependence, the skittish Elling and the boisterous, would-be lover of women, Kjell Bjarne, discover they can not only survive on the outside, they can thrive. But as their courage grows, the two find oddball ways to cope with society, striking up the most peculiar friendships in the most unlikely places.
Cast & Characters
Per Christian Ellefsen as Elling;
Sven Nordin as Kjell Bjarne;
Marit Pia Jacobsen as Reidun Nordsletten;
Jorgen Langhelle as Frank Asli;
Per Christensen as Alfons Jorgensen;
Hilde Olausson as Gunn;
Ola Otnes as Hauger;
Eli Anne Linnestad as Johanne;
Cecilie A. Mosli as Cecilie Kornes;
Joachim Rafaelsen as Haakon Willum;
Per Gorvell as Eriksen;
Knud Dahl as Waiter at bar;
Knut Haugmark as Porter;
Sverre Horge as Fyr pa nabobordet;
Christin Smith