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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A truly distinctive and original film that is just too funny. Its no Hollywood action film - most of the "action" of any significance takes place in one man's kitchen - but the point of it all is the gentle unfolding of the relationhip between the 2 central characters, Isak and Folke.
The setting of the film is that it is the 1950s and a Swedish research institute has just completed a study of the "habits" of women in the kitchen in order to design more ergonomic kitchen spaces and equipment. The "scientists" now want to move on to a more challenging topic - a study of the kitchen habits of single Norwegian men.
The resulting satire on the "brave new world" scientific optimism of the period really is very amusing. Also gently mocked are male relationships and (lack of) communication and the big brother/little brother relationship between Sweden and Norway. Other little trivia details add to authenticity and pleasure of the film, such as the Swedish scientist feeling sick because he has to drive on the "wrong side" of the road (in those days the Swedes drove on the same side as us Brits).
The gradual breaking down of the clinical scientific study and the establishment of real human interaction between the men involved is a joy and pleasure to watch. I recommend this film to anyone who likes a "feel good factor" without the Hollywood sentimentality.
The setting of the film is that it is the 1950s and a Swedish research institute has just completed a study of the "habits" of women in the kitchen in order to design more ergonomic kitchen spaces and equipment. The "scientists" now want to move on to a more challenging topic - a study of the kitchen habits of single Norwegian men.
The resulting satire on the "brave new world" scientific optimism of the period really is very amusing. Also gently mocked are male relationships and (lack of) communication and the big brother/little brother relationship between Sweden and Norway. Other little trivia details add to authenticity and pleasure of the film, such as the Swedish scientist feeling sick because he has to drive on the "wrong side" of the road (in those days the Swedes drove on the same side as us Brits).
The gradual breaking down of the clinical scientific study and the establishment of real human interaction between the men involved is a joy and pleasure to watch. I recommend this film to anyone who likes a "feel good factor" without the Hollywood sentimentality.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a film for those who feel for the loners. With a great sense of humour probably appreciated mostly by Scandinavians used to the culture conflict between Sweden and Norway -the ones organised to the point of ridicule, and the others with a comic over-relaxed attitude to life, individualist and distrustful of foreigners. The Swedes sending a group of men testing the domestic habits of single men in Norway in a lonely rural district are described with a most refined irony. Here we have a sour Norwegian farmer, Isak, masterly played by Joachim Calmeyer, reluctantly accepting to be observed after being promised a new horse as payment (which was done, only it was a wooden little horse, a typical Swedish souvenir), and Nilsson, the Swedish observer, (not less fantastic Tomas Noström) honest, efficient, terribly curious and as sadly lonely as his subject. The relationship between the two, growing in the kitchen from mutual distrust to a tender friendhip, is really heart-warming. There are other characters too, the rural chain-smoking doctor, and also Isak's friend, who becomes jealous when he feels that Nilsson is becoming too friendly with Isak. Nilsson's horrible boss, bureaucratic and rigid. Everything in this film is delicate, subtle and beautiful. It is not a commercial film, it was hardly shown all over the world except in festivals, and it was done with the minimum of expense. Norwegian director Bent Hammer has produced also other films dealing with elderly lonely men, equally delightful, like Eggs and O'Horten. In all of them he treats these loners with humour and love. In other words, Kitchen Stories is a work of art that deserves all the stars.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I thoroughly enjoyed this and along with my friends. Like the review above says the premise from just reading the back of the box is interesting enough but when you actually watch it you get a whole lot more. Extremely moving and although the ending is sad it still leaves you feeling good.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Norwegian Cinema...
The next time that hot topic comes up at the pub quiz or during intelligent dinner-party chit-chat, that of the complexities of and the chief protagonists in Norwegian Cinema,... Read more
Published 21 days ago by Tim Kidner
Moving and interesting
This is a lovely film, the setting of mass observation of kitchen usage is really fascinating and has been recreated brilliantly. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Georgy H
A charming low-key and touching comedy
Aside from what I considered to be a fairly slow first fifteen/twenty minutes, watching this film was good fun. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Little Cat Voom
Norwegian Would
Really enjoyable quirky, but gentle film. Lots of subtle dry humour, with the occasional laugh out loud moment, and with a touching, warm ending. Recommended.
Published 15 months ago by TJD
quirky,touching and funny
Weirdly wonderful film on the theme of human nature and the need to communicate no matter how. Great acting from the two protagonists who at first resent each others presence then... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Ashton
Bizarre but rather good
This film has been used at postgraduate level as a means of showing what NOT to do when carrying out valid and effective research. Read more
Published on 11 May 2010 by C. Senter
terrific Norwegian cinema
It's always great when you take a punt on a film premise or cover, and it really delivers, and this is one such film. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2009 by Stephen McGinn
Unique Delights
I love this film in part because I was once a shy, eccentric and old-fashioned bachelor like the two protagonists (until I took a job where I was surrounded by women! Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by P. Jenkins
Subtle but fascinating
This is a movie for people who like `slice of life'-type films. Very little seems to happen but yet it is fascinating to see male friendship portrayed like this and to see how... Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2009 by Ms. J. Hamilton
Friendship Unbound
Isak did not care to speak to Folke. Folke was not to speak to Isak. Such were the rules unspoken and otherwise. Read more
Published on 22 July 2008 by Brockeim
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