Thanks for the memories!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Going into the showing of Kitchen Stories, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn't seen the trailer or heard anything about the plot of the film, and from the title I envisioned a generic, blandly heartwarming dramedy about Norwegian housewives. Thank goodness I was wrong! There is nothing bland about this film, although it does manage (almost despite itself) to be heartwarming. But there are no Norwegian housewives to be seen. Instead, Kitchen Stories is based on the premise of a Swedish firm studying the kitchen habits of single men, in order to design a more efficient kitchen. The plot itself is so Nordic—what other society would have the organizational power or the interest to study such an obscure topic? But even though this movie screams "Scandinavia!," it is definitely enjoyable for an audience of any nationality.One of the most unique aspects of Kitchen Stories, and a hallmark of its director, Bent Hamer, is that all of the characters are old, stuffy white men. Despite the similarity of the characters' demographics, however, each one distinguishes himself through an abundance of personality. We have Folke, the law-abiding, uptight Swedish man who believes in the importance of his position as an observer of kitchen habits and whose idea of an exciting night is to gorge himself on the Swedish food his aunt has sent to him. Then there is Isak, the older Norwegian man that Folke is observing. Isak is silent and surly, but we soon begin to love him as he sabotages Folke's observations and begins to make observations of his own. He joined the study only because the promoters promised that he would get a horse if he participated—turns out that they meant a carved wooden horse, not a real one. There is also Folke's supervisor, who keeps tabs on all the observers in the area and makes sure that they are not breaking any rules by interacting with the subjects they are supposed to watch.To protect the integrity of the study, Folke and the other observers are not allowed to interact with their subjects, even to say good morning or have a cup of coffee. These strict rules result in the hilarious picture of Folke sitting on a high wooden chair in a corner of Isak's kitchen, watching silently and intently as Isak walks to the cupboard, takes out an egg, and sits back down at the kitchen table. The sound of Folke's pencil scratching as he records Isak's every move, and the look that Isak gives him before leaving the kitchen and slamming the door, is where the true comedic value of the film can be found. This is a Nordic film, not an American comedy, and as a result there are no ridiculous antics or impossible circumstances, but Kitchen Stories uses its own brand of quiet, awkward humor that works wonderfully well.Of course, Folke and Isak can no longer stand the pressure of seeing each other every day and not speaking, so slowly and carefully a friendship begins to develop, based on conversations about how Swedish food is different from Norwegian food and the health of Isak's horse. Isak's friend, Grant, is appalled that Isak has deigned to speak to the Swedish intruder and becomes jealous as he sees their friendship blossoming. The affection that these men have for one another is truly touching, mainly because the conversations they have and the coffee they drink together are the highlights of their simple lives.Kitchen Stories is a superb example of how successful a simple, low-budget film can be. The actors playing Folke and Isak stand out in terms of their subtlety and attention to character details and portrayal of emotion. There wasn't one moment in the film where I became unconvinced of their characters' integrity. Bent Hamer has done an outstanding job in directing this film and lays emphasis exactly where it is required to show the strong emotions running beneath the calm surface of these stoic men's lives. The sparse cleanliness of Isak's house and the care with which he goes about his daily activities tells a lot about the kind of life lived by many older people in Norway, and his acceptance of Folke reminds us that older adults are still capable of forming new friendships, beating down their prejudices, and feeling love.Because of its honesty and simplicity, Kitchen Stories has become one of my favorite Nordic films. At different points it is funny and touching, but always enjoyable. The only drawback may be a slightly slow pacing within the film, but I think that that is unavoidable considering the subject matter. I would not hesitate to recommend this film to anyone who can appreciate the smaller joys in life.

This seems to be my week for male buddy movies. At the loud and exotic end of the spectrum was The Matador. Kitchen Stories lands at the quiet, domestic, and droll end. This is a slow, slight movie, almost completely predictable, and whose premise requires a large suspension of disbelief. But it taps into such a strong human desire — the need for companionship — that you can overlook these flaws, and enjoy its gentle humor and warm heart.I would write more if I had something extra to add to the existing universe of reviews about this movie. The critic James Berardinelli, however, has captured the essence of my reaction well, so I'll leave further commentary to him: http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/k/kitchen_stories.html.

This film explores how simply friendships can start between two outwardly different people, through a post WWII Swedish kitchen research project. It has wonderful actors who thankfully never hammed it up, and effective cinematography that moved the plot instead of dazzled (again, thankfully). The period Scandinavian jazz and pop score was fresh and never overpowered the story's quiet energy.There are a few possible mysteries by the movie's end. The final moments could be seen as vague. Did an illness, suicide, or natural death occur? Why would the jealous Grant befriend Folke by the very last scene, or did he? Also, there was one conversation about bear meat that reminded me of the oysters/snails conversation in Spartacus - but maybe I'm reading too much into it!The best short fiction shows the characters' inner worlds through carefully chosen details and dialogue. Without being talky or ever getting soapy, Kitchen Stories made me feel like I was in that tiny dwelling with Isak and Folke, researching a growing friendship rather than appliance use.

There are so many layers to this clever, funny and moving film. One of those that stays in your head for days. No violence, only a hint of sex, hardly a voice raised in anger and so many emotions expressed with hardly a word being spoken. If you find it a bit slow at first, stay with it and soon you'll be smiling at this image of a gentler, more peaceful and happier time. This is clever writing, directing and acting at its best. It's one of those movies you want to own as it throws up something different each viewing. The "frisson" between neighbours, generosity versus selfishness, a scientific view of life compared to a natural one are all carefully explored. If you like John Woo, leave this one but if you like grown up movies, see it soon.