Kompani Orheim is the third film adaption made of Tore Renbergs partly biographic Stavanger novels about Jarle Klepp. Here we get to know why he takes mothers last name, Klepp, as his own, ditching father's Orheim. We've seen the great teenager story "Mannen som elsket Yngve" with Jarle playing in a band, and finding himself on the verge of being an adult. And the second "Jeg reiser alene", where Jarle is a student, getting to know he has become a father several years after a one night stand.
This film starts off with Jarle getting to know that his father has died, making him travel back to the funeral, as well as in thoughts to him being a youth, back in the ridiculous 80'ies. Back to the time when he discovered that his parents had secrets they no longer managed to hide the truth.
All the three films are good. Maybe "Jeg reiser alene" is not as good as the first, but probably more charming, but this third is going to be the one that lingers in the mind: Great play, and mixed feelings of a little family of three going to pieces. Kristoffer Joner is portraying the father flawless, and the young Jale, played by freshman Vebjørn Enger, does a fantastic job as the naively young, but still eager to take a stand and responsibility.
The father is an alcoholic, though nice enough when he is not drunk, and when he wants to. He also is more and more abusive. The crises linger until a holiday trip to the mountains around Rjukan to where the fathers war heroes, the "Heroes of Telemark" sabotaged against Hitler trying to get the heavy water he needed to make the atomic bomb back in 1944. Camping with Terje Orheim is not a picnic...
Again there's a great adaption on the mid eighties. Music, colorful clothing and just how it was, being 15 back then, when Jarle was almost becoming an anti-racist activist and socialist.
The film gets stronger and stronger out towards the end. Just when you think the film has stalled, and where there's a still, the film is beautifully giving the touch of feel that makes it difficult to keep your tears.
Not exaggerated, not overplayed, just simple and plain good story telling with heart and hate. I've seen a lot of love/hate relations on films, but I really don't think I've seen it so delicately and trustworthy treated as here. Arild Andresen is hitting again, just like he did with the fabulous "Keeper'n til Liverpool" ("The Liverpool goalie").
Well done! The film just took away the Nordic Filmprice Dragonaward, with a prize of SEK 1.000.000 at the Gothenburg International Film Festival, with the jury from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). This is showing that the film having international potential. Tore Renberg has approved the adaption of his novel as perfect, though saying it was difficult to watch.
A fun fact is that Kristoffer Joner as the father Terje Orheim actually was one of Tore Renbergs classmates, and turns up talking to himself as a youngster in a scene in the film. How's that for a time loop!?
Turn your feelings on and get to know how it is to hate the ones you love the most.
