Kitchen Stories (2004)

That was an excellent one.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

*Spoiler/plot- 2003, In the 1950's, a Swedish Govt. researcher strikes up an unlikely friendship with a cranky Isolated Norwegian farmer despite the age-old cultural animosity between the two neighboring Scandinavian nations. The Swedish efficiency expert is under strict Govt. orders NOT to engage with his study subject. This study is to improve the subject's kitchen use and meal cooking times. But the sly old farmer much prefers to amuse himself by impeding the timid researcher's work in the most amusing ways. Soon, in the struggle between a neutral observation and the innate need for human interaction in very close & personal surroundings, the kitchen becomes a battleground of matching whit and grows into a charming alliance.*Special Stars- Joachim Calmeyer, Tomas Nordstrom, Reine Brynolfson, Bjorn Floberg *Theme- The cold brutal winters in Norway make people warm and friendly.*Trivia/location/goofs- Swedish language, subtitles. Made into the film festival: Cannes Selection of 2003.*Emotion- An enjoyable film of personal relationships and real acting 'chops'. The quirky script here makes this film's plot warm and witty with an interesting look into the life of Europeans in the 1950's.

Going into the showing of Kitchen Stories, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn't seen the trailer or heard anything about the plot of the film, and from the title I envisioned a generic, blandly heartwarming dramedy about Norwegian housewives. Thank goodness I was wrong! There is nothing bland about this film, although it does manage (almost despite itself) to be heartwarming. But there are no Norwegian housewives to be seen. Instead, Kitchen Stories is based on the premise of a Swedish firm studying the kitchen habits of single men, in order to design a more efficient kitchen. The plot itself is so Nordic—what other society would have the organizational power or the interest to study such an obscure topic? But even though this movie screams "Scandinavia!," it is definitely enjoyable for an audience of any nationality.One of the most unique aspects of Kitchen Stories, and a hallmark of its director, Bent Hamer, is that all of the characters are old, stuffy white men. Despite the similarity of the characters' demographics, however, each one distinguishes himself through an abundance of personality. We have Folke, the law-abiding, uptight Swedish man who believes in the importance of his position as an observer of kitchen habits and whose idea of an exciting night is to gorge himself on the Swedish food his aunt has sent to him. Then there is Isak, the older Norwegian man that Folke is observing. Isak is silent and surly, but we soon begin to love him as he sabotages Folke's observations and begins to make observations of his own. He joined the study only because the promoters promised that he would get a horse if he participated—turns out that they meant a carved wooden horse, not a real one. There is also Folke's supervisor, who keeps tabs on all the observers in the area and makes sure that they are not breaking any rules by interacting with the subjects they are supposed to watch.To protect the integrity of the study, Folke and the other observers are not allowed to interact with their subjects, even to say good morning or have a cup of coffee. These strict rules result in the hilarious picture of Folke sitting on a high wooden chair in a corner of Isak's kitchen, watching silently and intently as Isak walks to the cupboard, takes out an egg, and sits back down at the kitchen table. The sound of Folke's pencil scratching as he records Isak's every move, and the look that Isak gives him before leaving the kitchen and slamming the door, is where the true comedic value of the film can be found. This is a Nordic film, not an American comedy, and as a result there are no ridiculous antics or impossible circumstances, but Kitchen Stories uses its own brand of quiet, awkward humor that works wonderfully well.Of course, Folke and Isak can no longer stand the pressure of seeing each other every day and not speaking, so slowly and carefully a friendship begins to develop, based on conversations about how Swedish food is different from Norwegian food and the health of Isak's horse. Isak's friend, Grant, is appalled that Isak has deigned to speak to the Swedish intruder and becomes jealous as he sees their friendship blossoming. The affection that these men have for one another is truly touching, mainly because the conversations they have and the coffee they drink together are the highlights of their simple lives.Kitchen Stories is a superb example of how successful a simple, low-budget film can be. The actors playing Folke and Isak stand out in terms of their subtlety and attention to character details and portrayal of emotion. There wasn't one moment in the film where I became unconvinced of their characters' integrity. Bent Hamer has done an outstanding job in directing this film and lays emphasis exactly where it is required to show the strong emotions running beneath the calm surface of these stoic men's lives. The sparse cleanliness of Isak's house and the care with which he goes about his daily activities tells a lot about the kind of life lived by many older people in Norway, and his acceptance of Folke reminds us that older adults are still capable of forming new friendships, beating down their prejudices, and feeling love.Because of its honesty and simplicity, Kitchen Stories has become one of my favorite Nordic films. At different points it is funny and touching, but always enjoyable. The only drawback may be a slightly slow pacing within the film, but I think that that is unavoidable considering the subject matter. I would not hesitate to recommend this film to anyone who can appreciate the smaller joys in life.

Imagine a 1940-style propaganda film, showcasing the efficient working of some government scheme. The appeal of 'Kitchen Stories' is that it creates the sort of vision such a film might promote as literal reality. The physical world of the 1940s is perfectly recreated; and although I don't find it strictly believable, the world in which the story takes place is exactly the sort of fantasy land you would have seen had you seen the propaganda at the time. Some more of the appeal comes because the location is northern Scandinavia and the government scheme in question is an unlikely study in personal observation, which gives the movie a quirky feel, although one cushioned by the fact that everything is deadpanned. The result is perfect (in its own terms) although also, perhaps, just a little pointless: a piece of understated showing off (if that's not a contradiction), but wonderfully done.

Slow? Did I actually read that some commentators here called this "slow"? Oh, I'm sorry. It's not the usual American movie with characters cursing and being obnoxious, nor does it have something crashing or blowing up every 15 seconds.What this movie does have is the human equation.Given the basis for the story, a Swedish researcher trying to further the "scientific" study of kitchen movements of the single male, and the resulting actions of the old Norwegian homeowner, this movie is quite refreshing and a pure delight to watch.I love stories which unfold, just like real life, and this one does a great job of it.Simple pleasures and common human interactions dominate this film and bring it its distinctive charm.Relax for a few moments and let yourself be just a simple human for the length of this film. You'll thank yourself later for it.Watch it because it's a winner!