Cellofan - med døden til følge

"Cellofan" was one of a number of thrillers produced in Norway during 97-98. They were all rather poorly executed. The problem here is the script, (by the usually reliable Leidulv Risan) which never convinces us all this could possibly happen.

The scene is a small rural community, (genuine "Deliverance"-territory!)" where the creepy inhabitants mumble and scowl their way through suggestive dialogue. The lately arrived big town-journo, Marianne, trying to rid her dying father of a murder suspicion, is meanwhile going around asking questions, putting on a face, and performing acts of incredible stupidity. More murders are committed. She keeps on asking questions. Marianne is, in fact, rather dim. Trying to root out the real murderer among the "country-folks", her methods of inquiry are vaguely reminiscent of those employed by Mickey Mouse, or rather Nancy Drew of Carolyn Keene fame, that is : Barge on in, and let EVERYONE know you are after something! All in all, Marianne gets nowhere for her troubles. Nearly killed, as a result of blithely failing to identify the killer, no audience on earth could deny she had it coming to her!

A case in point:

Marianne is staying at the only hotel in town. The killer has obligingly bored two spy-holes through the eyes of a Christ-portrait hanging on her wall, so he can observe her every move from an adjoining room. The spy-holes are huge and VERY visible, and the killer's eyes are swerving around all the time, but she never ONCE suspects what's going on.

What a doll!

"Cellofan" is a very stupid film with few redeeming features. It's also giving rural people a raw deal, depicting them as sleazy, secretive, inbred maniacs, a fact that didn't slip by the critics.

Marianne Hovden, (Andrine Saether) is a young girl who works for a newspaper in Oslo, Norway and she learns that her father is going to die of cancer and he makes a very strange request of her. Her dad wants her to locate boxes of letters that he has received over a long period of time and do not read them, just burn them immediately. However, Marianne becomes interested in what these letters are all about and she finds out that it involves her dad in a murder case. The Norwegian's decided to copy a scene from the Hichcock film which starred Anthony Perkins, in other words there are eyes looking through a wall like a peeping tom when Marianne decides to take a shower or other scenes of undress. The photography is outstanding throughout the Fall Season in Norway with the changing of the leaves. You will never be able to figure out who the killer is and there is a church that sings all kinds of old time hymn tunes all sung in Norwegian. If you can, don't miss this film, it is very entertaining. Enjoy.

Despite a couple of bad reviews and low ranks on the voting poll for this film, this movie is actually surprisingly good. I think a big part of watching a movie is the expectations...whether having a high one, or a low one. I didn't know what to expect really. Though the movie has some slower parts, but overall, it really kept my attention. It was a film that actually made me think. Surely, it may not be the most difficult plot to guess or solve, but it was entertaining to watch.

And though it has really nothing to do with the movie's quality, but I must say the film's setting seemed more North-American than Norwegian, with its big American pick-ups & 4x4s...but its nice to see them in a Norwegian film (look at my nick).