User Reviews

Fresh out of the Norwegian Film School in Lillehammer, Alt for Egil is Tore Rygh's debut on the big screen.

Alt for Egil is the first of it's kind in Norwegian cinema. A musical! Egil is the pizza delivery guy who has a very close friendship with the mentally disabled friend Jan-Ove. One day, skiing in the mountains, Egil accidentally runs down a girl, who ends up in the hospital in a coma. When the girl wakes up, Egil falls deeply ion love with the girl, and a drama between the three unfolds.

Alt for Egil's story is one for the sweet parts of the heart. On the other hand the brain has some saying in this. Technically this movie is not very good. A lot of the issues this movie has tried to solve end up in small embarrassing moments.

But, all in all, it's a sweet and good movie. The music numbers are fun and at times very gripping. Small methods make small magic in this movie. The actors are splendid, and for "hard" Norwegian movie goers, a singing role for Kristoffer Joner is very satisfying.

The lead character in this movie is Egil and is played by Kristoffer Joner, who in my opinion is one of the most gifted movie actors in Norway at present date. However in my opinion he failed to save this movie from the clutches of mediocre film-making.

**********Minor spoiler alert******************************************

Plot in itself could have worked, although it's a "bit" cliché.

I mean boy meets girl, boy and girl falls in love and the dim-witted sidekick make "jokes" sound familiar? Also the music scenes could have been done better and the story lose a lot of dialogue in intricate parts of the movie due to the songs. Thus making the story appear a little more messy and a little less smooth then it ought to be. I also found the lack of character background a little frustrating, Egil has a deep fascination for Morten Abel (norwegian artist, also from Stavanger) who makes a visual appearance in all the music scenes. Although the character only mentions his name once, I also think the relationship between Jan Ove and Egil is poorly established.

The casting and acting is OK, Egil played by Kristoffer Joner is supposed to be a kind hearted working class "hero" that deliver pizza's for a living. Which is a faith he also wants for his best friend Jan Ove played by Trond Høvik, the problem is that Jan Ove is retarded or is supposed to have down syndrome. I'm not actually sure which, but he do manage to deliver a few lines well enough to justify his part in the movie and making the audience snicker. Sally Nilson did her role of Egils mother in a highly average manner nothing special but not really bad neither. The same is true for Nina Ellen Ødegård playing Anette the girl Egil ends up falling in love.

Personally I think the idea was there and the time for another "Stavanger movie" after the success of Mongoland was right. But the movie lacks the dialogue, aesthetics, originality, planning and the directing needed to make a good movie. With this said I thought it was worth the money for the cinema ticket, just do not expect another Mongoland.

I would rate it 6-6.5...