Bang Bang Orangutang (2005)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Simon Staho

Writers:

Peter Asmussen (writer)
Simon Staho (writer)

Release Date:

14 October 2005 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An overworked and stressed out man in the middle of his career causes the worst tragedy that can happen to a family... |

Plot Keywords:

Family Crisis

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Mikael Persbrandt	...	Åke
Lena Olin	...	Nina
Tuva Novotny	...	Linda
Mimmi Benckert-Claesson	...	Emma
Michael Nyqvist	...	Sven Blomberg
Reine Brynolfsson	...	Åke's Boss
Jonas Karlsson	...	Mats
Börje Ahlstedt	...	Åke's Father
Mona Malm	...	Åke's Mother
Shanti Roney	...	Martin
Fares Fares	...	Patrik
Leif Andrée	...	Policeman
Maria Gruber
Michael Engberg
Oliver Martinsson	...	Oscar

Runtime:

106 min | Argentina:106 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Sweden | Denmark

Language:

Swedish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:7 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Film i Väst, Nohab Industrial Estate, Trollhättan, Västra Götalands län, Sweden

Company:

Cinevita Film Company

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Smagsdommerne: (#2.16)" (2005)

Different, odd, crazy - but actually very good!

I didn't like Staho's previous film "Dag och natt" so much, felt it was just over-dramatic and pretentious, but I really enjoyed this one. It was cynical and crazy, but in a good way. I liked the dark humour and Mikael Persbrandt takes on a different character as he gives vent to the life of Åke. Åke's life is turned up-side down as he suffers a family crisis; his wife upon this leaves him and on top of that he looses his job... This is a situation he doesn't quite know how to handle (understatement of the year) and his character faces the risk of having his life become like Michael Douglas' character in "Falling Down"... But the line between sane and crazy is thin, and pretty blur, especially as the society - and the people around him - doesn't feel that sane itself.

I don't know if this one will work internationally. I think it's very European - or very Scandinavian. Director Simon Staho has a very interesting way of working with colors, and works with long dialogue scenes at odd places (for example in a car, outside a front door etc.). He says himself he want to make films that is a mixture of drama and the visual feeling of rock videos. Rock videos turned in to real life scripts; deciphered.

The cast is very good - and very impressing! It actually joins together the best acting forces Sweden has got at the present. The greatest national and popular film stars at the moment - Mikael Persbrandt, Tuva Novotny, Jonas Karlsson & Shanti Roney; some theatre heavies from the Royal Dramatic Theatre - Reine Brynolfsson, Börje Ahlstedt & Mona Malm; and last but not least, Sweden's coolest international star today, all categories; hardcore material and the always challenging and electrifying actress Lena Olin, here in her first native language part in a decade (and who really should do more European independent/experimenting/challenging stuff like this - like she did in "Romeo Is Bleeding", "Unbareable Lightness of Being"; because no one else does it better!!)!! Try it. Either you like it or you wont. (It's one of those films).