Den brysomme mannen
Encyclopedia
The Bothersome Man is a Norwegian film from 2006. It was directed by Jens Lien
after a script by Per H. V. Schreiner. In the main roles were Trond Fausa Aurvåg
, Petronella Barker
and Per Schaaning. The story is about a man suddenly finding himself in an outwardly perfect, yet essentially soulless dystopia
, and his attempt to escape. The film was well received by critics, and was awarded three Amanda Awards
in 2006.
) is underground in a train station watching a couple kiss; however, the kiss lacks any sign of aesthetics - on the contrary, it looks hideous and abominable. Andreas seems to be increasingly unsettled until eventually he steps forward and jumps off the track in front of a subway train
and the scene abruptly ends. When he awakes he is on a bus which lets him off at a deserted gas station in the middle of nowhere. An older man greets Andreas with a welcome sign and escorts him into a car. From here he makes his way into an ideal city, where he soon finds himself with a corporate job, a furnished apartment and a beautiful girlfriend (Petronella Barker
). The seemingly perfect life soon proves to be vacuous. Andreas seems to be the only person in the city capable of experiencing sensation and emotion. The only respite from the emptiness is a meaningless materialism
. As the slightly uncomfortable turns into the absurd, Andreas tries to escape, but finds there is no way out of the city. Not even suicide. Eventually he meets Hugo (Per Schaaning), a cleaner who has found a crack in the walls of his basement from which lovely music streams out. The two dig frantically, in secret, through the wall and discover it leads into a house, presumably back in the real world. Andreas manages to get his arm into the house and grabs a handful of cake from the table, but both of them are caught and dragged out of the basement. Andreas gets thrown out of the city on the same bus that brought him there. The film ends with a violent ride into a frozen wasteland where the bus leaves Andreas, bewildered, distraught and alone.
, two years before it was adapted for the screen. Director Jens Lien tells that he was very affected by Schreiner's script, and that the first time he read it he was unable to sleep. Schreiner and Lien had earlier collaborated on short films, but this was the first feature-length movie they made together. The movie was chosen for the Critic's Week
of the Cannes Film Festival
, and jury member Christophe Leparc expressed great admiration for the film. The "lovely music" in the basement is actually a recording made for thereminvox.com by theremin
veteran Howard Mossman, who remains uncredited.
awarded five out of six points, calling the movie "advanced" and filled with literary and filmatic references, yet not without a wider appeal. The television station NRK also ended up on five, calling the film thought-provoking and funny, and "very, very good".
International reviews were good. Steve Rose, writing for The Guardian
, gave it three out of five stars. Noting the cultural references to other dystopic works, he complained that the movie failed to get "beneath the surface of this shallow parallel reality". The A.V. Club
's Noel Murray called the movie "paced and plotted well throughout", though he felt it veered "too far into fantasyland" towards the end.
The film was awarded three Amandas
in 2006: for "Best Direction", "Best Screenplay" and "Best Actor" (Aurvåg). It was also nominated in the categories "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Barker). The movie also won several international awards, including the ACID Award (Agence du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) at the Cannes Film Festival
, and the Golden Starfish at the Hampton International film festival.
. The score is composed by the Norwegian composer Ginge.
Jens Lien
Jens Lien is a Norwegian film director. He graduated from the London International Film School in 1993. His graduation project was the short film "Montana", that was featured at the short film festival in Grimstad that year. in 1995 he again participated in this festival, with the entry "Mitt...
after a script by Per H. V. Schreiner. In the main roles were Trond Fausa Aurvåg
Trond Fausa Aurvåg
Trond Fausa Aurvåg is a Norwegian actor, film director and poet.After graduating from the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in 2001, he has acted at Oslo Nye Teater since 2001. Here he has acted in plays such as Amadeus, Manndomsprøven and Tatt av kvinnen...
, Petronella Barker
Petronella Barker
Petronella Barker is a British-born Norwegian actress. She was born in Colchester, England, but grew up in Fredrikstad, Norway. While still studying at the Theatre Academy in Oslo , she had her debut in the Russian-Norwegian co-production Dragens fange...
and Per Schaaning. The story is about a man suddenly finding himself in an outwardly perfect, yet essentially soulless dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, and his attempt to escape. The film was well received by critics, and was awarded three Amanda Awards
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
in 2006.
Synopsis
As the movie begins, Andreas Ramsfjell (Trond Fausa AurvågTrond Fausa Aurvåg
Trond Fausa Aurvåg is a Norwegian actor, film director and poet.After graduating from the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre in 2001, he has acted at Oslo Nye Teater since 2001. Here he has acted in plays such as Amadeus, Manndomsprøven and Tatt av kvinnen...
) is underground in a train station watching a couple kiss; however, the kiss lacks any sign of aesthetics - on the contrary, it looks hideous and abominable. Andreas seems to be increasingly unsettled until eventually he steps forward and jumps off the track in front of a subway train
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
and the scene abruptly ends. When he awakes he is on a bus which lets him off at a deserted gas station in the middle of nowhere. An older man greets Andreas with a welcome sign and escorts him into a car. From here he makes his way into an ideal city, where he soon finds himself with a corporate job, a furnished apartment and a beautiful girlfriend (Petronella Barker
Petronella Barker
Petronella Barker is a British-born Norwegian actress. She was born in Colchester, England, but grew up in Fredrikstad, Norway. While still studying at the Theatre Academy in Oslo , she had her debut in the Russian-Norwegian co-production Dragens fange...
). The seemingly perfect life soon proves to be vacuous. Andreas seems to be the only person in the city capable of experiencing sensation and emotion. The only respite from the emptiness is a meaningless materialism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
. As the slightly uncomfortable turns into the absurd, Andreas tries to escape, but finds there is no way out of the city. Not even suicide. Eventually he meets Hugo (Per Schaaning), a cleaner who has found a crack in the walls of his basement from which lovely music streams out. The two dig frantically, in secret, through the wall and discover it leads into a house, presumably back in the real world. Andreas manages to get his arm into the house and grabs a handful of cake from the table, but both of them are caught and dragged out of the basement. Andreas gets thrown out of the city on the same bus that brought him there. The film ends with a violent ride into a frozen wasteland where the bus leaves Andreas, bewildered, distraught and alone.
Cast
- Andreas – Trond Fausa Aurvåg
- Anne Britt – Petronella Barker
- Hugo – Per Schaaning
- Ingeborg – Birgitte Larsen
- Håvard – Johannes Joner
- Trulsen – Ellen Horn
- Harald – Anders T. Andersen
- Liten Mann – Sigve Bøe
- Vigdis – Hanne Lindbæk
- Colleague 1 – Ivar Lykke
Production
The story for the film was originally written for radio theatreRadio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
, two years before it was adapted for the screen. Director Jens Lien tells that he was very affected by Schreiner's script, and that the first time he read it he was unable to sleep. Schreiner and Lien had earlier collaborated on short films, but this was the first feature-length movie they made together. The movie was chosen for the Critic's Week
International Critic's Week
The International Critics' Week , founded in 1962 and organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, is the oldest parallel competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival. It showcases first and second feature films by directors from all over the world, and has remained true to its tradition...
of the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, and jury member Christophe Leparc expressed great admiration for the film. The "lovely music" in the basement is actually a recording made for thereminvox.com by theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
veteran Howard Mossman, who remains uncredited.
Reception
Den brysomme mannen was generally very well received by the Norwegian press. The newspaper AftenpostenAftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
awarded five out of six points, calling the movie "advanced" and filled with literary and filmatic references, yet not without a wider appeal. The television station NRK also ended up on five, calling the film thought-provoking and funny, and "very, very good".
International reviews were good. Steve Rose, writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, gave it three out of five stars. Noting the cultural references to other dystopic works, he complained that the movie failed to get "beneath the surface of this shallow parallel reality". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
's Noel Murray called the movie "paced and plotted well throughout", though he felt it veered "too far into fantasyland" towards the end.
The film was awarded three Amandas
Amanda (award)
The Amanda Award is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award...
in 2006: for "Best Direction", "Best Screenplay" and "Best Actor" (Aurvåg). It was also nominated in the categories "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Barker). The movie also won several international awards, including the ACID Award (Agence du Cinéma Indépendant pour sa Diffusion) at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, and the Golden Starfish at the Hampton International film festival.
Soundtrack
The film heavily features music by Edvard GriegEdvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
. The score is composed by the Norwegian composer Ginge.