macz

I have no problem enjoying a film that's obviously been made for 'entertainment purposes only'. There's a lot of great films that have been made under this banner. Nor do I consider myself to be one of those 'serious reviewers'. But even pure entertainment needs to have basic standards, i.e. a story line, a plot, characters that you can relate to. The makers of LOVE ACTUALLY have basically thrown huge wads of cash at - and appealed to the more base instincts of greed of - some of Britain's finest acting talent: Grant, Firth, Atkinson, Nighy, etc. They have then commissioned a 2nd rate writer to concoct a collection of short stories, all of them so full of anomalies and inconsistencies that it almost beggars belief. However, it's the characters themselves that are the greatest failing in this veritable pile of junk. You can almost FEEL Mr Rickman and Mr Firth cringing as they deliver some of their lines - the terribleness of it all softened by the prospect of a very large cheque heading their way in the near future. But at last they didn't have to actually listen to the dreadful 'insult to elevator music' music that accompanied virtually every scene!

It is a sad fact that this series did not strike the right chord with many Norwegian TV critics. They just didn't get it. A lot of Norwegians didn't get it. The kind of Norwegians who DID get it were those who have been out in the world a bit. Who have lived.

As a non-Norwegian who has lived in Norway for many years and who has embraced the culture, I regard this series as a true masterpiece. Rarely do the Norwegians get a chance to parody themselves on what is, effectively, an international stage. I cannot fault this series on any level. The script is magic. The wealth of acting talent is breathtaking. The constant clash of two virtually diametrically opposed cultures is unnerving in the extreme.

I suspect that some Norwegians find it hard to look into such a dazzling mirror reflection of their own society's stereotypes. That's not the Norway they want the world to see.

But fear not. The international audience that lies beyond Norway's borders seems to have taken Lillyhammer to heart. And rightly so.

Because it's a real gem!