The Bothersome Man

2006 Norwegian comedy

Rating: 16/20

Plot: A man's taken by bus to a gas station in the middle of nowhere where he's welcomed and taken to a city where everybody seems pretty content. He's given a job and home and a little bit of money to get him started. He meets some women, becomes disillusioned by the whole experience, and looks for a way out.

What is this? A look at malcontents in the afterlife? A satire of consumerism and discontent? A cautionary tale about not understanding one's place in society? The film's enigmatic in that nothing is explained. You never know why the main character ends up in this strange little gray utopia and why he can't seem to escape. The ennui's thick, and so is his hair. From the opening shot (grotesque smooching) to the melancholy final shot, this one keeps you on your toes. There's an existential vibe, but the movie's also very very funny. It is, after all, a comedy, and if there's one thing I know about Norwegians, it's that they like to laugh. A welcome sign, a conversation about tables, a lost finger and the subsequent "Ouch," a great scene with some sort of cake, a humorous disembowelment, the most casual breakup in cinematic history. Lots of funny stuff, but the film looks great, too. The colors are perfectly Norwegian, and there are some really great shots, including one that takes place after a subway sequence that I can't say anything about because it would give far too much away.

A little Kafka, a little Roy Andersson, a little Lynch maybe, a little Beckett. It's got its influences, sure, but the whole winds up completely unique and really entertaining. Highly recommended!