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- Original Trailer
Editorial Reviews
A Swedish researcher strikes up an unlikely friendship with a cranky Norwegian farmer in this "quirky, thoughtful and bittersweet" (Boxoffice) comedy that captured audiences hearts around theworld. Both "warm" (Newsday) and witty, Kitchen Stories is "a deadpan, thoroughly delightful comedy that cooks up tasty laughs" (New York Post)! It's the 1950s, and a Swedish efficiency expert under strict orders not to interact with his subject is sent to improve a Norwegian farmer's culinary efforts. But the sly old farmer much prefers to amuse himself by impeding the timid researcher's work! Soon, in the struggle between neutral observation and the need for human interaction, the kitchen becomes a battleground!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooh my, this film had me in knots!
Having lived in Norway at one time in my life, I had a strong desire to see this when it turned up at last year's Cork (Ireland) International Film Festival. I try not to miss Scandinavian films when they're on, anyway, but the blurb sounded good, and so I went.
Scandinavian humour is known for being quite black, actually, and is sometimes hard to swallow. There are those who find British humour incomprehensible; they would find Scandinavian humour insurmountable. That is, until they see this film... (You know things will be good when you're laughing hysterically within the first five or ten minutes.)
The story begins with a group of Swedish researchers, who are sent to the cold and frozen wilderness of Norway to observe the daily habits of middle-aged Norwegian bachelors. The premise for this visit is that the researchers are attempting to redesign kitchens for the usage of such characters; the observations will facilitate a more user-friendly remodelling. It isn't too long after the introduction of the 'suits' that the viewer will be rolling on the floor in laughter. This comes about firstly by the inclusion of a bit of rather humorous history: once upon a not-so-long ago, the Swedes drove on the left, and the Norwegians (as they always had done) drove on the right. Consequently, the team of Swedish researchers, fresh from their border crossing into Norway, must suddenly avoid a near head-on collision, which leaves them discombobulated. Viewers familiar with the way the Swedish and the Norwegians are constantly jibing one another will immediately recognise the joke played on a certain group of meatball-lovers!
It only gets better. Folke, one of the observers who is destined to spend the next several months in a ridiculously high observation chair, is instructed to observe Isak, a grumpy old man and not-so-willing participant. A battle of the wills... and WITS... soon ensues. With very little dialogue, the dynamic is set by the actions of each character. Will Folke be forced to end the observation? Or will Isak submit? (And how, incidentally, are the others getting on with their studies?)
You won't believe the outcome.
Incidentally, the audience at the CIFF screening went mad for it! They were breathless with laughter, and often could hardly see through their tears of mirth.
Having lived in Norway at one time in my life, I had a strong desire to see this when it turned up at last year's Cork (Ireland) International Film Festival. I try not to miss Scandinavian films when they're on, anyway, but the blurb sounded good, and so I went.
Scandinavian humour is known for being quite black, actually, and is sometimes hard to swallow. There are those who find British humour incomprehensible; they would find Scandinavian humour insurmountable. That is, until they see this film... (You know things will be good when you're laughing hysterically within the first five or ten minutes.)
The story begins with a group of Swedish researchers, who are sent to the cold and frozen wilderness of Norway to observe the daily habits of middle-aged Norwegian bachelors. The premise for this visit is that the researchers are attempting to redesign kitchens for the usage of such characters; the observations will facilitate a more user-friendly remodelling. It isn't too long after the introduction of the 'suits' that the viewer will be rolling on the floor in laughter. This comes about firstly by the inclusion of a bit of rather humorous history: once upon a not-so-long ago, the Swedes drove on the left, and the Norwegians (as they always had done) drove on the right. Consequently, the team of Swedish researchers, fresh from their border crossing into Norway, must suddenly avoid a near head-on collision, which leaves them discombobulated. Viewers familiar with the way the Swedish and the Norwegians are constantly jibing one another will immediately recognise the joke played on a certain group of meatball-lovers!
It only gets better. Folke, one of the observers who is destined to spend the next several months in a ridiculously high observation chair, is instructed to observe Isak, a grumpy old man and not-so-willing participant. A battle of the wills... and WITS... soon ensues. With very little dialogue, the dynamic is set by the actions of each character. Will Folke be forced to end the observation? Or will Isak submit? (And how, incidentally, are the others getting on with their studies?)
You won't believe the outcome.
Incidentally, the audience at the CIFF screening went mad for it! They were breathless with laughter, and often could hardly see through their tears of mirth.
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
We humans are, by nature, a thoroughly inquisitive lot. We can't help but want to know what it is that makes everything - including the people around us - "tick." But can that curiosity, which has done so much to enlighten and advance us as a species, also wind up draining all the spontaneity and fun out of life? If everything is catalogued and labeled and put into little boxes, what happens to that sense of mystery that makes life worth living? The Swedish film "Kitchen Stories" is an ingenious little satire about mankind's insatiable propensity to study and analyze every damn thing in life and to subject even our most mundane daily activities to the rigors of scientific enquiry.
It`s the 1950`s and a group of Swedish researchers have descended on Norway to study "the kitchen habits of the single male," a truly pressing concern if ever there was one. The project involves setting up an "observer" in a volunteer's kitchen in order to watch and record the subject`s every move, leading, hopefully, to kitchen designs that will prove more fruitful and productive for the average citizen. The proviso is that there is to be no fraternizing whatsoever between the two parties, otherwise the "objective" nature of the experiment will be ruined. This is truly life as lived under a microscope, and the question early on becomes who will be the first to "crack" under the pressure of this totally unnatural state of affairs, the observer or the observed. And just how meaningful and reliable could information gleaned from such a contrived, unnatural setup be anyway? Given the complexity of human nature, how much can such a study truly tell us about ourselves and what we're really like?
The film focuses on two men who are caught up in the study: Isak, the relatively reluctant subject, and Nilsson, the analyst who takes up residence in Isak's kitchen, perched high above him on a five foot tall chair made especially for the occasion. At first, the air is tense between the two men, for Isak is not shy about showing his obvious resentment of this nonstop intrusion and prying into his daily life. But, after a few days, the mood thaws out and the two men become fast friends, drawn to each other by their common humanity and need for companionship. Soon, they are breaking all the "rules" of the study, sharing food, beverages and conversation with untoward abandon.
Some people may see this film as an allegory of life under a totalitarian regime, with the individual's every move being observed, recorded and monitored by an authoritarian power. I see it more as a simple study in human nature, as two men triumph over a dehumanized institution. Either way, the film does an interesting job showing just how easily the observer can become the observed if he lets his guard down. The film boasts excellent performances from Joachim Calmeyer as Isak, Tomas Norstrom as Nilsson, Bjorn Floberg as Isak's jealous friend, Grant, and Reine Brynolfsson as Nilsson's serious, Nervous Nelly boss who, like Grant, can't abide the intimacy he sees developing between evaluator and subject (albeit for totally different reasons).
"Kitchen Stories" is a quiet, almost muted film in which the characters rarely speak above a whisper, reflecting the somber mood of both the clinical experiment and the stark winter background against which the story takes place. Yet, there is warmth and humor in the relationship between Isak and Nilsson, and a great deal of quirky humor in both the premise and director Bent Hamer's sly execution of it. This is a film for those in search of the unique and the offbeat.
It`s the 1950`s and a group of Swedish researchers have descended on Norway to study "the kitchen habits of the single male," a truly pressing concern if ever there was one. The project involves setting up an "observer" in a volunteer's kitchen in order to watch and record the subject`s every move, leading, hopefully, to kitchen designs that will prove more fruitful and productive for the average citizen. The proviso is that there is to be no fraternizing whatsoever between the two parties, otherwise the "objective" nature of the experiment will be ruined. This is truly life as lived under a microscope, and the question early on becomes who will be the first to "crack" under the pressure of this totally unnatural state of affairs, the observer or the observed. And just how meaningful and reliable could information gleaned from such a contrived, unnatural setup be anyway? Given the complexity of human nature, how much can such a study truly tell us about ourselves and what we're really like?
The film focuses on two men who are caught up in the study: Isak, the relatively reluctant subject, and Nilsson, the analyst who takes up residence in Isak's kitchen, perched high above him on a five foot tall chair made especially for the occasion. At first, the air is tense between the two men, for Isak is not shy about showing his obvious resentment of this nonstop intrusion and prying into his daily life. But, after a few days, the mood thaws out and the two men become fast friends, drawn to each other by their common humanity and need for companionship. Soon, they are breaking all the "rules" of the study, sharing food, beverages and conversation with untoward abandon.
Some people may see this film as an allegory of life under a totalitarian regime, with the individual's every move being observed, recorded and monitored by an authoritarian power. I see it more as a simple study in human nature, as two men triumph over a dehumanized institution. Either way, the film does an interesting job showing just how easily the observer can become the observed if he lets his guard down. The film boasts excellent performances from Joachim Calmeyer as Isak, Tomas Norstrom as Nilsson, Bjorn Floberg as Isak's jealous friend, Grant, and Reine Brynolfsson as Nilsson's serious, Nervous Nelly boss who, like Grant, can't abide the intimacy he sees developing between evaluator and subject (albeit for totally different reasons).
"Kitchen Stories" is a quiet, almost muted film in which the characters rarely speak above a whisper, reflecting the somber mood of both the clinical experiment and the stark winter background against which the story takes place. Yet, there is warmth and humor in the relationship between Isak and Nilsson, and a great deal of quirky humor in both the premise and director Bent Hamer's sly execution of it. This is a film for those in search of the unique and the offbeat.
32 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Not all humor has to be slapstick. This quiet little Scandinavian film tells a simple story of small-town people doing little things, but if you are open to this type of story, you will be happily entertained.
Folke is an observer for a study that will ultimately be used to design efficient kitchens. He sits in an odd chair not unlike that of a tennis umpire, taking notes about his observee, the unwilling, cantankerous Isak. Isak pulls lots of tricks to get Folke's goat, but Folke seems as unflappable as Isak is intractable -- at least until the incident of the egg.
This is a charming, quiet film. The only extra is the trailer. Subtitled in English.
Folke is an observer for a study that will ultimately be used to design efficient kitchens. He sits in an odd chair not unlike that of a tennis umpire, taking notes about his observee, the unwilling, cantankerous Isak. Isak pulls lots of tricks to get Folke's goat, but Folke seems as unflappable as Isak is intractable -- at least until the incident of the egg.
This is a charming, quiet film. The only extra is the trailer. Subtitled in English.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dry whitted Scandinavian story
Kitchen Stories involves primarily two characters. One sent by the government to do a time study on the other. Very little spoken communication between the two. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Diana Evenson
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best movies!
This is one of the best movies i have see, partly because of my work. If you work in accadmia or in industry doing product or service design you will laugh your ass off! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Oskar Jonsson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A quiet little treasure
We really enjoyed this film - it would definitely not be a box office hit. It is slow-moving and necessarily so, and the performances are all excellent - a couple of familiar... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sue Weston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unlike Anything Else
This movie was a great, simple joy. It was funny while being silent and made you ponder about our lives without being taxing on our minds. Read more
Published 15 months ago by geniusing
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comedy from Norway and Sweden
This is an unusual Swedish and Norwegian film which plays a little bit upon the rivalry between Norway and Sweden. It may be described as a Scandinavian situational comedy. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Peter Tsang
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scandinavian culture/humor
If you have Swedish and/or Norwegian ancestry, the movie KITCHEN STORIES is a must. It depicts a Scandinavian cultural perspective, humor, a bit of the history, and a view of the... Read more
Published on March 21, 2011 by Linda Sue
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely loved this movie
Being of Scandinavian background, this movie is incredibly good. The idea of Swedes studying the kitchen movements of Norwegian bachelor farmers is hysterical in concept and this... Read more
Published on December 27, 2010 by L. Thorson
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Ten Thousand Swedes Ran Through the Weeds ...
... Chased by One Norwegian." That immortal refrain was part of my Swedish-American childhood. What the taunters failed to grasp was that the Swedes were 10,000 beautiful maidens... Read more
Published on September 21, 2010 by Giordano Bruno
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kitchen Stories (2003)
This is not often tagged as gay movie, since, it's true, there is no "sex" between Isak and Folke, but I think that there is indeed a love story, even if maybe it has more a friend... Read more
Published on July 11, 2010 by Elisa
5.0 out of 5 stars
If Only All Movies Were This Surprising and Original
Nothing beats the thrill of sitting down to a surprising and original movie. Add to that much laughter and warm characters... Read more
Published on May 9, 2010 by A. Long
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