Kitchen Stories (2003)
"Salmer fra kjøkkenet" (original title)

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

Director:

Bent Hamer

Writers:

Jörgen Bergmark, Bent Hamer

Stars:

Joachim Calmeyer, Tomas Norström, Bjørn Floberg

8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

In post war Sweden it was discovered that every year, an average housewife walks the equivalent number of miles as the distance between Stockholm and Congo, while preparing her family meals. So the Home Research Institute sent out eighteen observers to a rural district of Norway to map out the kitchen routines of single men. The researchers were on twenty-four-hour call, and sat in special strategically placed chairs in each kitchen. Furthermore, under no circumstances were the researchers to be spoken to, or included in the kitchen activities.

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Plot Keywords:

kitchen | researcher | sweden | friendship | research | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Les Films du Losange [fr] Official site [de]

Country:

Norway Sweden

Language:

Norwegian Swedish

Release Date:

17 January 2003 (Norway)

Also Known As:

Kitchen Stories

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$48,103 (USA) (20 February 2004)

Gross:

$349,315 (USA) (4 June 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BOB Film Sweden AB, Bulbul Films, Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

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

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Connections

Spoofed in Brødrene Dal og mysteriet med Karl XIIs gamasjer: Episode #1.1 (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Visa Från Utanmyra"
Performed by Jan Johansson

User Reviews

As dry as your mouth after a marathon, but wonderful at the same time

There's no avoiding it: "Kitchen Stories" is hopelessly boring. It is slow, uneventful, tacit, and wry. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. It also happens to be hilariously understated and brilliantly dry. It's motive is clear and straightforward, there are no surprises or twists, only the observation of two men: one who must observe, the other who must be observed. Of course, humans are not meant to be that way, and everything falls out of the way it is supposed to. The scientific study of single male's kitchen activities is carried out in high chairs strategically placed in the corner of the kitchen. But the observer, Folke, and the observed, Isak, form a friendship and a bond, quietly, and ever so slowly. There is a small twist at the end, but when you think about it, with all of the very small funny moments leading up to it (getting radio stations through a gold tooth, Isak eating dinner in his room instead of his kitchen), you realize at the end that everything is the way it should be. This movie is a small masterpiece, slow and dry, yet hilarious and perfect. This is a movie with no villains and no heroes, just regular people, eating in their kitchen. At the end, even though you may have looked at your watch a few times, you leave satisfied and with a silly little grin on your face.

My grade: 7.5/10