The title "Å begrave en hund" means "To bury a dog", which again is an expression used when something needs to be forgotten - or buried. This is the case with the childhood friendship between the four young guys in this film just approaching their lives as young men.
I guess this is a film most will nod to when it comes to recognizing or remembering the trips with the "old gang". We've all been there. The childhood friends of which you partied with back then, but which all grew apart when their life situations changed over to something new.
We meet a typical gang of different youngsters. The annoying prat, the silent serious one, the one eagerly trying to make a step up in life and the one most concerned with being a good boyfriend. They are to go to their annual cabin stay during summertime, but we early sense that they are about to loose the tradition. Do they really need each other?
I like the setting, and the acting is mostly very good. It's fresh and inspired young filmmaking, and very talented such. I enjoy the ride for more than an hour, but it stalls in a way which makes the story unfulfilled. I know that you're supposed to make up your own mind here, but still I think we loose out on not getting more out of the climax.
The acting is superb from the main characters, so it's such a pity that the manuscript is underdeveloped when it comes to fulfillment. Everything is so promising, but then again I understand that this is a point of the whole story.
A couple of guest appearances by Jon Øigarden (a boss), Trine Wiggen (a mother) and Dennis Storhøi (a father) are simply great supporting roles, and the boys are played by Øivind Vogt (Jo), Benjamin Helstad (Kristoffer/"Stoffern"), Simen Aurstad Gjernes (Lasse) and Sindre Horseby (Mikkel), all brilliant and charming, though some of the dialog is a bit forced. The fifth wheel on the wagon is Olav Waastad (Fritz), which has never been a real part of the gang, but an outsider and proud of it.
The score is very suitable and good. Sentimental and a bit sad. The filming is fresh and interesting, though a pat was a bit too hand-held, and then I don't mean the video clips which are used.
The film has a lot of what tends to be scary moments, which might evolve into something more serious. The tension is lingering, and we don't get to know too much about what's troubling the boys. This is a main problem with the film in addition to the unfulfilled story. All of them we'd love to know more about. The film fails to give answers which could have given us better understanding for their reactions. Only 15-20 minutes more with showing preparations would have done that. Some of it is cut out of the film, obviously, as it there as extra material, but still it's only partial. We'd love to know more about the pushing father, the sleek boss and why Kristoffer wants to live up to his expectations, and more about the troubled mother etc. etc.
Still I enjoyed the idea and the acting. The film makers, and the young actors are all some to watch out for. It's all very talented and promising.
