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KITCHEN
STORIES Rating:   (out of 5 stars)Director: Bent Hamer Producer: Bent Hamer Writer: Bent Hamer, Jorgen Bergmark Directors of Photography: Philip Ogaard Cast: Joachim Calmeyer, Tomas Norstrom, Bjorn Floberg, Reine Brynolfsson Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew |
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The deadpan Norwegian comedy Kitchen Stories is reminiscent of the early work of Jim Jarmusch, and more specifically the films of Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki, but manages to spin these influences into something distinct and heartfelt. Directed by Bent Hamer (Eggs), Kitchen Stories possesses a deceptive sensitivity that greatly reaps the rewards of the film's unhurried pace. This movie just seems to breathe quite easily, not forcing itself to go in any particular direction, yet engaging the viewer with its warmth and complete lack of pretension.
Inspired by, though not completely based on scientific research performed in 1950's Scandinavia, Kitchen Stories is set in that decade and centers on a study conducted by Sweden's Home Research Institute, which looks at the kitchen habits of single men in Norway. The purpose of the study is to turn the ordinary kitchen into a more efficient workplace, in turn having positive effects on the entire household.
Duped into believing that he will be compensated with a new horse for partaking in the study is an aging bachelor named Isak (Joachim Calmeyer). When he realizes that his payment is not what he anticipated, Isak turns into a difficult subject, not cooperating in the slightest with Folke (Tomas Norstrom), the researcher assigned to him, or the project's strict supervisor, Malmberg (Reine Brynolfsson). But Folke waits out the initial resistance in his egg-shaped camper parked outside of Isak's house, and after a few days the researcher is allowed to enter and observe the man from the vantage point of a tall chair set up in the corner of the kitchen.
A basic rule of the study is also the most important one: the researcher and subject must have no interaction. While at first it appears that this regulation will not be even remotely threatened, Folke and Isak move beyond merely simple means of communication, and actually begin to develop a friendship. Under the ironhanded supervision of Malmberg, this fraternizing threatens the safety of Folke's job.
Targeting the ways in which the dehumanization process can occur in the name of science, Hamer's comic jabs revel in understatement. Folke watches patiently as Isak eats chocolates, loads mouse traps with cheese, and even gives his neighbor a haircut. Timing is a big key to the effectiveness of the movie's humor, and the spare dialogue and abundant silences work in tandem successfully. Hamer also takes playful shots -- such as when Malmberg expresses his discomfort over having to drive on the other side of the road in Norway by vomiting-- at Sweden's superiority complex as it pertained to the country's view of presumably all other Scandinavian countries in the 1950s.
The snowy Norwegian landscape gives the setting a feeling of isolation that enhances the need for Isak and Folke to reach out to one another. As the relationship grows, the film adds a dramatic dimension that doesn't feel tacked on or out of place. The movie has a quiet build, and from very simple beginnings expands into something substantial. When the story eventually strikes a few sad notes, it does so with no melodramatic inclinations whatsoever.
Despite its leisurely pace, Kitchen
Stories engages you right from the start with charm and a
slightly offbeat sense of humor. It's able tap into a number of
emotions, and does so with a welcome touch of restraint.
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(An IFC Films release. Opens in New York
and Los Angeles on February 20, 2004. Expands to more cities at
later dates.)
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