Sons of Norway

I recently saw this at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival where director Jens Lien was on hand at my screening for a Q&A following the film. The film is set in 1978 where Magnus (Sven Nordin) and Lone (Sonja Richter) are a new age couple raising two boys. Magnus is an architect by trade and is in a transition stage between being a hippy and a new age trend setter. His loving wife Lone puts up with his eccentricities and is the glue that keeps the family stable. A family tragedy propels the oldest son Nikolaij (Åsmund Høeg) into being a follower of the punk rock scene where he joins a band and rebels on the establishment of his hometown. Magnus goes through the family crisis on a different course following a nervous breakdown. This is a smart and funny comedy with a heavy sprinkling of drama to keep it on track. Norway has become known in recent years for the quirky comedy/drama films coming from there and this is a good example. Great directing by Lien from an excellent story by Nikolaij Frobenius. Fine acting performances from a great cast and nicely photographed by cinematographer Morte Søberg. Masterfully edited by Vidar Flatauken with a great score and sound this is a worthwhile coming of age film. Look for former Sex Pistols front man John Lydon as his alter ego Johnny Rotten in a cameo and a soundtrack featuring six original Sex Pistol classics. I would recommend this imaginative film and give it a 9.0 out of 10.