This is a an honest but brutal black comedy about the left-overs of Swedish manhood looking for someone to save them from their pit of loneliness. I just saw the film for probably about the tenth time and it struck me that not only the nice and naive country-guy Roland and the other obviously lonely participants in the trip are lonely but so are almost everyone. What this film is about is their different way of dealing with their loneliness.
Look at the mediocre loser of a businessman Percy who hides his feelings of abandonment in a false layer of professionalism. The only time we see Percy vulnerable and his yearning for love is on the ferry, strongly intoxicated with alcohol. And the one he opens up to is Lasse Kongo, a soul so deprived from alcohol abuse, with no ability for empathy, but all the while, seemingly Percy's only friend. Paradoxically, Percy, being the self-proclaimed matchmaker ultimately appears to be the one who ruins Rolands chances of scoring. However, Percy is not as far from redemption as Magnus, who lives his life completely in denial.
And the nice and correct Roland, who tries, and we really feel sorry for him, but turns out too weak. Life is hard against him and he is forced to submit.
Or Lennart, who hides his insecurity in always being the strong one and his inability to communicate with women with a detailed sermon about the basis for relationship taken from some book he just read for this occasion.
The film is both incredibly funny and incredibly tragical. You can say that the more tragical it gets, the more funny. You really get caught with laughing at the patehetic shortcomings of the characters which poses the question of ethics. Sometimes you wonder if it wouldn't be more correct to cry. However, the element of comedy is based on the concept of recognition which ultimately leads us to the conclusion that we're actually laughing at ourselves.
This is a great film in every aspect. The acting, the story, the cinematography, the casting and especially the writing. Some of the lines are just so genius and so right on the target, especially the small details that creates such a tremendous realism and creditability to this film. Take Roland when he removes the first slice of cucumber. Its such a trivial thing but gives us such an insight in to the Universe of Roland. This little will of Roland's to be correct and proper, combined with the general gloominess in the room can be a metaphor for his life.
I'm really proud of being from a country that has produced this tragical, honest, hilarious and simply genial portrait of this outcast of manhood. "Torsk på Tallinn" is unparalleled in this genre and I'm sorry not more people will get the chance to enjoy it.
Look at the mediocre loser of a businessman Percy who hides his feelings of abandonment in a false layer of professionalism. The only time we see Percy vulnerable and his yearning for love is on the ferry, strongly intoxicated with alcohol. And the one he opens up to is Lasse Kongo, a soul so deprived from alcohol abuse, with no ability for empathy, but all the while, seemingly Percy's only friend. Paradoxically, Percy, being the self-proclaimed matchmaker ultimately appears to be the one who ruins Rolands chances of scoring. However, Percy is not as far from redemption as Magnus, who lives his life completely in denial.
And the nice and correct Roland, who tries, and we really feel sorry for him, but turns out too weak. Life is hard against him and he is forced to submit.
Or Lennart, who hides his insecurity in always being the strong one and his inability to communicate with women with a detailed sermon about the basis for relationship taken from some book he just read for this occasion.
The film is both incredibly funny and incredibly tragical. You can say that the more tragical it gets, the more funny. You really get caught with laughing at the patehetic shortcomings of the characters which poses the question of ethics. Sometimes you wonder if it wouldn't be more correct to cry. However, the element of comedy is based on the concept of recognition which ultimately leads us to the conclusion that we're actually laughing at ourselves.
This is a great film in every aspect. The acting, the story, the cinematography, the casting and especially the writing. Some of the lines are just so genius and so right on the target, especially the small details that creates such a tremendous realism and creditability to this film. Take Roland when he removes the first slice of cucumber. Its such a trivial thing but gives us such an insight in to the Universe of Roland. This little will of Roland's to be correct and proper, combined with the general gloominess in the room can be a metaphor for his life.
I'm really proud of being from a country that has produced this tragical, honest, hilarious and simply genial portrait of this outcast of manhood. "Torsk på Tallinn" is unparalleled in this genre and I'm sorry not more people will get the chance to enjoy it.