| 90 |
New Times (L.A.)
Beautifully observed, miraculously unsentimental comedy-drama.
|
| 90 |
Los Angeles Times
A witty and sophisticated sensibility brings individuality to the classic odd-couple comedy.
|
| 90 |
LA Weekly
Heartwarming here relies less on forced air than on Petter Næss’ delicate, clever direction -- and a wonderful, imaginative script by Axel Hellstenius.
|
| 88 |
Philadelphia Inquirer
A sweet but unsticky comedy from Norway that was one of the five foreign- language nominees at this year's Academy Awards.
|
| 88 |
New York Daily News
There is a little of all of us in their awkwardness, fears and neuroses, and we root for their success in the mundane as if they were ascending Everest. Elling is still in the running for 2002's most uplifting movie.
|
| 83 |
Entertainment Weekly
Charms because of its natural, non-magical attitude toward humanity.
|
| 80 |
Variety
Gunnar Rehlin
A darkly funny, very human comedy.
|
| 80 |
Washington Post
Ann Hornaday
Bighearted audience pleaser.
|
| 80 |
The New York Times
Elling believes so fervently in humanity that it feels almost anachronistic, and it is too cute by half. But arriving at a particularly dark moment in history, it offers flickering reminders of the ties that bind us.
|
| 75 |
New York Post
A gentle comedy, brimming with hope and faith in human resilience.
|
| 75 |
Boston Globe
Touches smartly and wistfully on a number of themes, not least the notion that the marginal members of society - the ones who get spit out on the sidewalk with no idea of how it happened - might benefit from a helping hand and a friendly kick in the pants.
|
| 75 |
Chicago Sun-Times
The humor comes from the contrast between Elling's prim value system, obviously reflecting his mother's, and Kjell's shambling, disorganized, good-natured assault on life. If Felix and Oscar had been Norwegian, they might have looked something like this.
|
| 75 |
ReelViews
An enjoyable experience.
|
| 75 |
San Francisco Chronicle
Carla Meyer
A charming 2001 Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film.
|
| 75 |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
This tale of kooky social misfits finding their place in the world is an audience pleaser, for all the reasons such tales usually are.
|
| 60 |
TV Guide
Deftly manages to avoid many of the condescending stereotypes that so often plague films dealing with the mentally ill.
|
| 60 |
Washington Post
Charming but slight comedy.
|
| 60 |
The Onion (A.V. Club)
The natural chemistry between Ellefsen and Nordin keeps the film pleasant and inoffensive, but is there any question about where or when or how it will go?
|
| 50 |
Austin Chronicle
It's a cuckoo's nest that's nicely feathered.
|
| 40 |
Film Threat
If anything saves Elling, it is the trio of supporting performances that are closer to the real world.
|
| 40 |
Village Voice
Elling is nothing if not carefully controlled hokum -- both actors, the director, and screenwriter all worked it through first as a stage adaptation of a novel by Ingvar Ambjornsen.
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