Review: Sons of Norway

Maureen and I had a plan for our opening day of the festival.  We were going to start with a potentially depressing movie starring and produced by Lauren Ambrose, followed by the lighter Norwegian coming-of-age tale Sons of Norway.

Delta foiled our plan when our first flight was cancelled, our second flight was delayed, then delayed more, and then we missed our connection by mere seconds.  So, our festival was to start of with Sons of Norway.  Before the show, much to our delight, they brought out the film's writer, director and producers -- four Norwegian guys and John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten.  Johnny, true to form, thrilled the crowd with his conclusion to the introduction, "You'll really enjoy this, and if you don't you're f---ing c-nts."  (he left out the dashes)

The plot revolved around the relationship between a young teenage boy named Nikolaj (Niko) and his father Magnus.  Åsmund Høeg, who played 13-year old Niko, gave a wonderful performance with strikingly sparse dialog.

It's 1978, and the punk scene is hitting Norway, but Niko is too happy with life and enamored with his mother Lone to buy into its anger and discontentment.  Magnus, an idealist, atheist, banana-themed celebrater of Christmas (because we descend from apes) and architect, writes off the movement as a fad.

Things take a turn with the sudden and tragic death of Lone.  Niko begins to rebel, giving himself a punk hairdo, piercing his ear, and joining a punk band named "Dirt".   Magnus, meanwhile, is suffering his own heartache.  He quits his job and takes Niko to a nudist camp.  Frustrated by the lack of Magnus's attention and perhaps competing for rebellion points, Niko steps it up.  He lashes out at government officials, takes drugs, and angrily pierces more of his face.  It all culminates with a dream sequence where the boy is visited by a current day Johnny Rotten (missing teeth and all), a scene we learned was filmed in -20 degree weather.

While the film certainly had its comedic element, it certainly was not the lighter fare that we anticipated.  The director takes you on a rollercoaster ride with moments of light laughter followed by gut punching sadness and even disgust.  The drug-riddled cake eating scene was particularly difficult to stomach.  The ride was intended, though, and it was skillfully delivered.  My imdb rating: 7/10.