Hjelp, vi er russ

In recent years I have seen some great comedies from Norway, some much better then Swedish comedies (notable exception to this rule, the productions from directors Peter Dalle, Ulf Malmros) that couldn't even entertain a monkey. These comedies (for example Elling (2001), Salmer fra kjøkkenet 2003 )have had flawless direction, scripts and acting on a very high level.

This film however, is a step in another direction, paying homage mainly to US produced sexcomedies aimed at a teenage audience. Now on paper it sounds like a incredibly bad idea but director Kenneth Olaf Hjellum and his co writer Stig Frode Henriksen knows the genre well, and uses the clichés in a good way.

The story is a simple one, about a group students, that are going to graduate from high school and go to big party in south parts of Norway. But someone steals their money, and now they can't go. And usual, a group of misfits decides not to give up, they are going on a roadtrip anyway.

The film is filled with a sometimes, crude, adolescent humor, but done in a very warm, charming way. Paying homage mainly to the teen comedies of the 80's such as Porky's (1982), Revenge of the Nerds (1984),Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) etc.

There also links to more recent productions like Accepted (2006), Road Trip (2000) , Superbad (2007). Mostly impressive is the fact that the director Kenneth Olaf Hjellum does this with very distinctive norwegian style. The film looks and feels like norwegian sex comedy set in high school.

Granted, this film isn't breaking new grounds but has so much charm and some genuinely funny moments that the audience can overlook some of the very predictable storyline.

Add a great cast, some very sexy naked norwegian girls, and you get a very entertaining comedy. Just don't expect too much.

This kind of genre experimenting you will probably not see by Swedish directors in the near future (with notably failures, like Göta kanal 2 - Kanalkampen 2006 )and therefore this film was a pleasant surprise.

This film may not be a serious comedy drama like Bare Bea (2004) but has its own charm and entertaining value.