Salmer fra kjøkkenet (2003)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Bent Hamer

Writers:

Jörgen Bergmark (writer)
Bent Hamer (writer)

Release Date:

17 January 2003 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A scientific observer's job of observing an old cantakerous single man's kitchen habits is complicated by his growing friendship with him.

Plot Keywords:

Kitchen | Friendship | Norway | Chair | Observation

Awards:

8 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Joachim Calmeyer	...	Isak Bjørvik
Tomas Norström	...	Folke Nilsson
Bjørn Floberg	...	Grant
Reine Brynolfsson	...	Malmberg
Sverre Anker Ousdal	...	Dr. Jack Zac. Benjaminsen
Leif Andrée	...	Dr. Ljungberg
Gard B. Eidsvold	...	Bakkerman (as Gard Eidsvold)
Lennart Jähkel	...	Green
Trond Brænne	...	Ordforer
Bjørn Jenseg	...	Vaktmester
Jan Gunnar Røise	...	Vaktmesterassistent
Karin Lunden	...	Svensk selskapsdame
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Päivi Laakso	...	Finsk selskapsdame

Also Known As:

Kitchen Stories (International: English title)
Psalmer från köket (Sweden)
Psalms from the Kitchen (literal English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

95 min | Argentina:96 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

Norway | Sweden

Language:

Norwegian | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich) | Hungary:14 | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Germany:o.Al. | Norway:A | Philippines:G | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | USA:PG | Brazil:14 | Finland:S | Czech Republic:12

Company:

BOB Film Sweden AB

Trivia:

Throughout the film, Isak speaks Norwegian and Folke speaks Swedish; this is true even when they are having conversations with each other.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Brødrene Dal og mysteriet med Karl XIIs gamasjer: (#1.1)" (????)

Soundtrack:

Flickorna i Småland

Pure GENIUS!!

How do you make a film… no SELL the idea of a film, whose premise is the following? Take 1950 era Swedish scientists, whose goal is to find men who live alone in the wilderness and study their ‘kitchen habits' at home for the purpose of building a more efficient living space for people. I am sure if any writer walking into Hollywood with that script would be instantly flogged before he even set foot in a studio executive boardroom. A story like this obviously seems to set itself up as a comedy, since the story is so obviously absurd, but what viewers come out with after witnessing this film is the great appreciation and the bonds the characters create. This is a truly touching masterful picture, from a premise that has the most bizarre source that I don't know how anyone could have even come up with. That premise is quite something, since it seems that the idea of studying male behavior in a kitchen in the backwoods of Norway is either going to be a complete disaster or something extremely memorable. Luckily it is the latter of the two. Isak Bjornsson is a scientist out to study a ‘subject' named Folke who lives by himself and has literally no friends. Folke unwittingly is part of this experiment which involves Isak sitting in a giant chair overlooking his living space, as if he was the judge in a tennis match. Also Isak is supposed to follow certain rules set out by his employer. He is not to disturb Folke's living space, nor talk to him. If this isn't a unique bit of Scandinavian humor I don't know what is. If this film were to fall flat or even be just a short funny comedy, it would only fixate on the stupidity of this premise. Somehow a guy who sits in a log cabin miles away from civilization, who can put up with a stuffy repressed scientist whose main purpose is to write excruciating details of a man who literally spends his day doing nothing, is actually quite a funny situation for comedy. Kitchen Stories does not fail in that sense, but the ingeniousness is that Kitchen Stories is smarter than that.

The film suddenly takes the viewer to ask what the real purpose of these 2 men in the movie are and the focus provides and glaring and obvious point. They are essentially both alone in their lives for different reasons and they in a way need each other. But not of course in the sense of a dying love, but in a great sense of male camaraderie and caring that is essential to the idea of a great friendship

Gradually, the bond between scientist and subject breaks down, and both men start evolving a strange set of rules and create a friendship that comes off as the most genuine and heartwarming I've seen on screen since this year started.

As this relationship and some good subplots develop, the comedy takes another turn as Isak tries to hide from his boss ( a man who only ‘dreams' of what the future possibilities of kitchens may look like), that he has engaged his subject in what is obviously, ‘caring' humanity. The nerve!

I loved this film from the moment it started till its tender conclusion. It had only a short run in my area, and even after what must have been several months since I've seen it, I still think about it and a giant smile comes across my face.

It is touching, heartwarming, very funny, and just flat out great. It is the best film I have seen so far this year. If you ever get a chance to see it, go immediately. It shows the perfect beauty of the bond between us all as people, in the most kooky, unique bizarre way. And that in itself… is pure genius

Rating 10 out of 10