The Bothersome Man
Den brysomme mannen
dir. Jens Lien
Norway, 2006 - 90
An Orwellian vision of a depersonalised, sterile world, in which 42-year-old Andreas arrives one morning in a strange town, without knowing why or how he got there. His arrival is expected, however: there’s a home, a job, and even a girlfriend waiting for him. With time, Andreas is convinced that there is no escape from this place. He meets Hugo, who takes him down to the cellar of his house and shows him a secret crack in the wall, from which Andreas can hear wonderful music evoking everything which he is missing in his life. Perhaps this crack is a gateway to another, better world. Andreas and Hugo plan their escape.
A sarcastic and tinted view of affluent lives in the Nordic countries, in a society where all problems have been ironed out. Empathy has become surplus – an empty friendliness has taken its place. Kitchen furnishings have replaced love, and social rituals have replaced friendship. Normality in all its grotesqueness.
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