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Elling
First Look Pictures Releasing


9.5

based on 21 reviews
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How did we calculate this?

based on 6 votes
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Internet Movie Database

MPAA RATING: R for language and some sexual content

Starring Per Christian Ellefsen, Sven Nordin, Marit Pia Jacobsen, Jørgen Langhelle, Per Christensen, Hilde Olausson, Ola Otnes, and Eli Anne Linnestad

A slyly funny and emotionally affecting odd couple comedy about two misfits trying to find their places in society. (First Look Pictures)

GENRE(S):
WRITTEN BY:	Axel Hellstenius Ingvar Ambjørnsen (novel)
DIRECTED BY:	Petter Næss
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: November 19, 2002 Video: November 19, 2002 Theatrical: May 29, 2002
RUNNING TIME:	89 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	Norway
LANGUAGE(S):	Norwegian (with English subtitles)

Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, 74th Annual Academy Awards

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

New Times (L.A.) Bill Gallo

Beautifully observed, miraculously unsentimental comedy-drama.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

A witty and sophisticated sensibility brings individuality to the classic odd-couple comedy.

LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert

Heartwarming here relies less on forced air than on Petter Næss’ delicate, clever direction -- and a wonderful, imaginative script by Axel Hellstenius.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

A sweet but unsticky comedy from Norway that was one of the five foreign- language nominees at this year's Academy Awards.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

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.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Charms because of its natural, non-magical attitude toward humanity.

Variety Gunnar Rehlin

A darkly funny, very human comedy.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Bighearted audience pleaser.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

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.

New York Post Megan Lehmann

A gentle comedy, brimming with hope and faith in human resilience.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

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.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

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.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

An enjoyable experience.

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

A charming 2001 Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

This tale of kooky social misfits finding their place in the world is an audience pleaser, for all the reasons such tales usually are.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Deftly manages to avoid many of the condescending stereotypes that so often plague films dealing with the mentally ill.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

Charming but slight comedy.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

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?

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

It's a cuckoo's nest that's nicely feathered.

Film Threat Phil Hall

If anything saves Elling, it is the trio of supporting performances that are closer to the real world.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

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.

The average user rating for this movie is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Cheryl W. gave it a9:
It was really good. A little sexual and there was some bad language. Other then that it was great!

Arne L. gave it a10:
One of my my all time favourite movies! Saw it in the original version in Norway back in 2001. Great, great film!

Tord S. gave it a10:
Great film! :-))

Chad S. gave it an 8:
It's remarkable how much we come to care for this seemingly unlovable pair; one, a dead-ringer for Rudy from "Survivor", and the other, Jeff Daniels' stand-in for "Dumb and Dumber". We know that these misfits of society, Elling, a prim and proper shut-in, and Kjell, a ramshackle shut-in, pass muster when the restaurant patrons double as well-wishers after Kjell hangs up the phone and makes an announcement. At first, the scene seems contrived because we know where Elling and Kjell came from. The customers see these two men as normal, while the moviegoer registers this Norwegian odd couple as works in progress. It's a sort of epiphany to realize the work is finished. They fit in. A lot has happened in 89 minutes. When we first meet the old man, he literally comes out of the closet. This movie is as good as A-ha. "Elling" has humor and heart, without the yuks and "Yuck!".

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Elling First Look Pictures Releasing

Elling
First Look Pictures Releasing