DVD Eventyrland
Run time: 91 min
Rating: 6.4
Genres: Drama
Director: Arild Østin Ommundsen
Writers: Arild Østin Ommundsen
Stars: Silje Salomonsen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Egil Birkeland
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Storyline After serving 10 years in prison for murder, Jenny returns to society. She dreams of living a quiet life and of resuming her responsibilities as a mother, but soon dark shadows from the past start to appear. “It’s Only Make Believe” is the story of a murder that never should have happened, of friends that never should have been trusted, and a debt that keeps on increasing for every down payment. Although Jenny has lost everything, she still has everything to win: her daughter. “It’s Only Make Believe” is an exciting thriller and a heartfelt drama that marks a return to energetic and passionate filmmaking for Norwegian maverick director Arild Østin Ommundsen. Written by Gary |
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Details: Country: Norway Release Date: 22 March 2013 (Norway) |
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Box Office Budget: NOK 3,000,000 (estimated) |
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DVD Eventyrland
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Silje Salomonsen plays Jenny, a girl that tries to stay away from her old bad acquaintances after spending several years in jail, following an incident linked to drug smuggling and murder. At the time of this mistake she was pregnant, and gave birth in prison to a little girl called Merete. Fortunately this one could be raised outside jail in normal conditions, and becomes a very joyful and clever kid. So, when Jenny can get out, she wants Merete to join her in the hope of restarting her life were it had stopped abruptly. But the bad guys from her past are still around, waiting to spoil her new beginning.
Eventyrland is an atmospheric film, with amazing views of nature land, creating a terrific contrast with the prison environment and her depressing house. Like a fly trapped in a room, hitting all windows to find a way out, Jenny is struggling to escape her fate. It is a sad story, but a beautiful film, very well played and directed. The music part also deserves being mentioned.
Everyone has to pay the price for his errors in this film, but Merete's smile and dance show fortunately that she is not too affected by these murky events, and can easily recover from a wrong start.
Arild Østin Ommundsen's fifth outing of a feature film is Eventyrland (which translates to Failrytaleland/Adventureland, but is named "It's only make believe" internationally. Ommundsen has here wanted to go right back to basics, doing most (or almost all) of the work himself. He has written, shot, directed, cut and sound edited this. Even casting his actress wife in the main role.
Jenny, played by Silje Salomonsen, tells her boyfriend that she is seven weeks pregnant, just before they are to pick up a bag of weed for reselling. Things goes terribly wrong, and she goes to prison, and have to give her child up for adoption. Trying to get her life back on track after release from prison, isn't easy. Can she succeed in getting her daughter back and her life life she have dreamed about?
The film has obvious marks of this. A good plot, but the film falls short from time to time due to amateurish acting from some. Fresh and unpretentious, yes, but the film would have earned on several more takes on many scenes. Also photographing focus is from time to time getting off. I'm not a fan of that, but I admire the guts.
I enjoyed all four earlier features from Ommundsen's hands, but it's been a slight downward spiral. His first, Mongoland is the best so far. The second, Monsterthursday, is the second best, and Rottenetter the third. Ropttenetter got a bit undeserved bashing by both critics and audience voters here on IMDb, but I still found it really refreshing.
So my expectations to this was quite high. But I'm afraid I really don't understand the praise this had got from critics so far. It's even on of the possible Oscar nominee's from Norway this year, which I find really quite surprising. (Competing With Erik Skjoldbjærg's "Pioneer" and Iram Haq's "I am Yours". Having not seen the latter, this is far behind Pioneer in all aspects.
The Music score, made by singer song writer Thomas Dybdal is good, though, but still mixed so high that it annoys in a couple of scenes. I'm afraid this once more shows that a good film maker needs a good team. It's not possible to do it all by yourself. It'll show. and it does so much that this feels like a student film.
I hope Ommundsen NeXT time feels like having a team around him again, and that the praises and Critical acclaims he gets for this doesn't set him off doing more of this one man show on a tiny budget again. Made for only 3 million Norwegian Crowns ($ 500.000), it's impossible to be great. as it is to win an Oscar. Disappointing. Welcome back on a bigger budget, Ommundsen!
Norwegian screenwriter, cinematographer and director Arild Østin Ommundsen's fifth feature film which he wrote, premiered in Norway, was screened in the Focus on World Cinema section at the 37th Montréal World Film Festival in 2013, was shot on location in Stavanger, Norway and is a Norwegian production which was produced by producer Gary Cranner. It tells the story about a woman named Jenny who shortly after telling her boyfriend named Frank that they are going to become parents and getting engaged, gets involved in a criminally related situation which leads to her ending up in prison. After being released many years later, Jenny moves into a house in Stavanger, Norway and as she is doing everything she can to get more contact with her teenage daughter named Merete whom has been living with her foster parents, she meets a man who takes a liking to her.
Distinctly and engagingly directed by Nordic filmmaker Arild Østin Ommundsen, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated mostly from the protagonist's point of view, draws a diverse and riveting portrayal of a Norwegian mother and ex-con whom whilst looking for ways to make her new home as decent as possible for her daughter befriends a former schoolmate named Gary and some vengeful criminals from her past. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, sterling cinematography by Arild Østin Ommundsen and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about a mother's love for her daughter, the people who won't leave her alone and let her get on with her life and ultimately about a filmmaker's love for his family, depicts a rare study of character and contains a great score by Norwegian composer Thomas Dybdahl.
This dramatic, freshly humorous, light-hearted and fairy-tale-like indie which is set in a city in Western Norway in the 21st century and where a woman whom is awaiting the recovery of her fiancée and focusing on her future relationship with her only child is constantly bothered by some bad men who begins to go after the person who is dearest to her to get what they are after, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, subtle character development and continuity, variegated characters, scenes between Jenny and her boyfriend and Jenny and her daughter, many fine cinematic moments, hilarious and so true comment by Gary : "Det jo typisk det." and the charming and understated acting performances by Norwegian actress Silje Salomonsen, Norwegian actor Tomas Alf Larsen and Norwegian actress Iben Østin Hjelle in her debut feature film role. A romantic, cinematographic and informal drama.