Der Junge im Baum

A 10-year-old girl befriends an ostensibly mysterious boy a couple of years older who has run away from home and taken up residence in a tree in the girl's family yard. It's an absurd premise based on contrived presumptions and conflicts. And the end result is not helped by the fact that the performances and dialogue belong to a stilted, theatrical tradition which makes all the film's would-be probing interpersonal elements outlandish and ineffective. The post-sync dialogue is particularly bad, especially in the interactions between Nina and her parents. Alas, because young Silvia Myhre as the girl has a natural presence in front of the camera. If only director Lasse Glomm (At dere tør!, Sweetwater) had been able to direct her and her cast mates as well as he composes his shots. Instead, he tries desperately to make his film relevant by placing it all in a semi-fantastical context which is not accounted for. Kai Remlow is a relief in a small part as the boy's father.