Torsk på Tallinn - En liten film om ensamhet

Torsk på Tallinn is a cinematic masterpiece from the beginning to the end. I've never seen such a good mix of comedy, documentary and tragedy as this film presents. Killinggänget have really done it with this film. Nearly every line in the movie is by now cult!

Note: A couple of months after I saw the film for the first time, I saw a true documentary about american men going to Estonia for the official purpose of finding a wife. It was Torsk på Tallinn on the spot!

If you have some the least bit of shadenfreude in you, this movie will have you in stitches. The actors, screenwriters and the director should all be praised for their ability to turn something so horribly sad and pathetic as a sex/marriage trip for single men to Estonia to something this insanely funny.

You see the characters created fantastically by the experienced Killing gang and shudder; could this have been me? Will I ever end up like this? This passes quickly as someone says something screamingly funny or so cringe-worthy you can feel your skin crawl.

The plot moves perfectly, set to the wastes of mid-Sweden and the suburbs of Estonia. The characters, the buildup, the tension and the angst leads to an apocalyptic and hysterical finale that you will never forget.

Never, ever see this movie alone, single, dumped or depressed.

Torsk på Tallinn is a real over-the-spindle feature documentary on the broad meaning of terms "searching for love" and "getting rid of loneliness". All this is crazy to watch, you will giggle, sneer and feel sorry... Acting is rigorous and realistic, rural types well depicted; apart from famous Swedish actors, there are some Estonian ones giving pleasant performances (Tõnu Kark and Merle Palmiste). Nevertheless, "only" 7 points from me as I am not too much into bluntly ridiculing people who behave in naturalistic manner not knowingly, but because of their upbringing and background. Before the global village developed by the Internet, it was practically impossible to bring forth high-minded and sophisticated values and manners.

PS Tallinn is shown very briefly in the film, the activities in Estonia take place in Paldiski, a former Soviet closed military town around 50 km from Tallinn, i.e. no suburb of it; thus, all those Swedish men were certainly not screwed in Tallinn :)

This movie is made by a famous group of Swedish comedians, whose trademark is a remarkable ability to spot the funny aspects of everyday life and turn into top notch comedy. Many of the actors are big stars in Sweden today, but I guess, totally unknown abroad.

The movie revolves around a group of men who have decided to join an arranged bus trip to the capitol of Estonia, Tallinn. Soul purpose of the trip – to find a female life companion.

The format of the movie is that of a documentary, but it's of course all made up.

In the beginning of the movie we get to know the different characters. My favourite character is Roland, the TOO nice guy who we all know. The one who is always getting the short end of the stick, simply because he is too good a guy. The expression "nice guys finish last" has never been more accurate.

We also get to know the arranger of the trip, wannabe entrepreneur Percy Nilegård and his trustworthy bus driver "Lasse Kongo".

This movie is extremely funny if you are into comedies that are flavoured with a bittersweet feeling. You laugh at the corny characters for all their faults, but at the same time you recognize certain parts of their behaviour in yourself. Depending on who you are, you will feel more for different characters.

Paldiski Palace – sounds like a nice retreat doesn't it. This is the final destination of the bus trip. Be warned – don't expect too much from this establishment.

My only worry is that perhaps the Swedish dry comedy does not suite an international audience. But my recommendation is that you give this one a shot.

Chances are this will be one of your top three comedies!!!!!

The most people only like it for the humour in it, but one should definitly understand that this film is wonderful because of the humour mixed with the incredibly strong theme. This film is about a set of people who meets up in a bus going to Tallinn. They don't know each other, and everyone of them come from very interesting backgrounds. So it's a strange set of desperate people who's going to Tallinn only to get themselves wives. That sounds very funny, but the fact remains that this is what people in real life do, and that must not be forgotten. If you don't think about that, you haven't understood the film. The film is incredibly not serious yet incredibly serious, and being able to find a balance between that is skilled, and that's what makes it so good. It's a 9/10