Pornopung

I watched this film the other day and it an enjoyable but surprisingly dark comedy about university students trying to get laid. Unlike most USA comedies about this subject this movie treats the matter more seriously and maturely.

Certainly, the number of male penises -- both flaccid and erect--on display would automatically mean it gets blacklisted in the USA-- but, thankfully, it is an European movie and so gets a 15 certificate in its home town. Probably an 18 in the UK, maybe 15.

Christian is a shy, intellectual boy, slightly chubby, who goes to Oslo and ends up in a flat-share with two other students. His flatmates are pick-up artists, ladies' men, players, and try to sleep with as many women as possible. They decide to change Christian into becoming one of them and the film follows their attempts and then the consequences as Christian goes from nice-guy to player. The last third takes a decidedly dark turn...

With a subject that could have resulted in a lazy and trite teen-comedy the director and actors pull off an entertaining movie which asks some interesting questions about sex and sexuality in the current age and the battle of the sexes. The movie also contains the most aesthetically beautiful penis I've ever seen in a movie!

I hear it is based on a novel and this film certainly makes me want to go and read it. Good, entertaining film-making, European style.

I don't speak or understand Norse, but I like the sound of it. It makes my ears smile, but it does mean I need subtitles to understand what's going on, and subtitles usually mean nuances get lost in translation.

But even with that, this movie provided something very important: Likable characters.

Even Karl.

Based on the description right here on IMDb, I expected to get into a movie about a bunch of dudes partying and getting laid, and I was completely fine with that.

Sometimes you need a cheeseburger in between all the steaks.

At no point did I expect I would have to think serious thoughts, and for something like two-thirds of the movie, I didn't.

Nerd wants girl, girl winds up in bed with the other guy, nerd decides to become a womanizer. Standard stuff, but done right. Even the fully expected hedonistic trip because nobody is allowed to have highs without suffering lows.

That's when the last third of the movie punches you in the face. I won't mention the twist, because spoilers aren't always at the end, but it did have me spend the rest of the movie thinking how I would cope with a situation like that.

And I've concluded that I would have taken the fast way down.

Even though I would have liked to know a little bit more about the last third, I'm decidedly happy to have seen this film and if you haven't yet, do give it a go.

I didn't know this movie had a comedy genre. I don't laugh at all. The biggest problem with this movie, in my opinion, is the script/dialog. It didn't 'touch' me. Maybe it's because of the translation, or it's really weak and plain. I don't know. It's a pity that the subject matter and I have something in common. Shy, socially awkward, has anxiety and problems interacting with women in society. As many movies as I've seen, the very well executed is Who Am I (2014 German movie). However, the film still has magic, Maja-Christian dialogue towards the end of the film where she talks about Carl's past life. Still I applaud the choice of making a film that depicts a male point of view and male full frontal nudity. This is called gender equality.

It's been 10 years since Mads Larsen's bestseller "Pornopung" came out in 2003, provoking a debate on how men had become the weakest sex, about a young guy going to live in a flat in Oslo in the late nineties, With free spirited sex and partying.

I read the novel back then, and fell off two thirds into it. I'm afraid the film is quite Equal in that way, though this film is merely based upon the book, and only Central plot is still remaining. Of course, the novel of Mads Larsen was self biographic into a certain extent, this film is even further off the real stuff.

When that is said, I think director Johan Kaos Nåden Dyrstad, which is his full name, has nailed a watchable film, when even impressively has made it an age 15 film, allowing children over 11 to watch with their parents, even though there's plenty of penises and breasts to see in the film. This of course, will be very important for the market of the film.

Except for the language, I don't think anyone will be very offended by seeing this, if Your not quite uptight, then. The same will be shown in both TV-series and other films. Those who thought this would be a med "Kids" has been wrong. There's too much charm going on here to provoke others than puritans.

The main character, Chrisian is played by Ole Christoffer Ertvaag (last seen as the boy Yngve falls in love with in "Mannen som elsket Yngve") is leaving his hometown of Stavanger, to go study in Oslo. He has been welcomed at a flat where two more experienced youngsters keep their parties and orgies. Karl has a plan to beat Marqius de Sade in number of flings, and love the thought of being a teacher for Christian, on how to pick up Girls and get a score.

The roles are well played, and this film is by no means as embarrassing to watch as one could fear. Some parts of it is funny, and the story has got a lot of drive until it punctures with seriousness. What could have made the film more interesting, somehow makes us care less. I really don't know why, but it had that effect on me.

The story is Oslo today, and not late nineties, which would have made it a bit more interesting and could have given the use of a great soundtrack of which most would remember. Put nowadays it's lost the musical interest, though the hard pounding Music at parties are quite well fitted. Production vales are good, and locations are perfect.

Going 10-15 years back would have demanded a bigger budget, but they got quite a good portion out of this. The film almost had problems with one Third of the funding, and could have gone bankrupt, but after showing some scenes they managed the sponsors to open the wallets for more cash-flow. It most certainly will manage to get their Money back with the kind of attention the film has gotten the latter days.

However, if you awaits to be provoked, forget it. This film has no harder punch than an average American high school comedy, though slightly better in a realistic way. Oh, yes, it's both slick, nasty, cheeky and disgusting, but not so much that the target audience will rise any eyebrows. Still not the film you invite Your grandmother to see.

Writer Mads Larsen, which also is a journalist, has tried to find New ways of provoking, like he did with this novel back in 2003, but hasn't managed that, even though his titles are suited to do so. Last book came back in 2008. Just as well, I guess.