Pohjoiseen

(2009) North/ Nord (In Norwegian with English subtitles) DRAMA

Watching this movie reminded me of a Norwegian western since it has him snowmobiling from place to place, shack to shack, who smokes always asking for booze except that it's through the gorgeous snowy climate. Sometimes he steals things from other peoples barns for the tools he needs. The thin plot device only serves as a backdrop to the vast snowy landscapes the average Norwegian citizen lives on, which is no different than any desert people cross through throughout the world. It stars Anders Baasmo Christiansen as one-time skier Jomar Henriksen who works at a ski resort who gets a passerby visit from a friend. Jomar's friend informs him that his son misses his biological dad, even though it was him that Jomar's ex had cheated on and then left with, creating an awkward rift. Jomar is not motivated to see his son until an unfortunate circumstance were to happen, and that is when he ends up burning the resort where he'd been staying in which he has to go somewhere up "north"- hence the title. One of my favorite highlights is when Jomar gets taken in by a little girl who lives with her grandmother when he got freezer burn on his eyes. This movie is not for all tastes since it can be deemed as slow and subtle. Some of the characters Jomar meets along the way are eccentric and quirky which is what keeps this film interesting.