King Curling (Kong Curling)

A Euforia Film relieve a 4 1/2 Film presentation. (Worldwide sales: NonStop Sales, Stockholm.) Produced by Hakon Overas. Executive producer, Lars Andreas Hellebust. Directed by Ole Endresen. Script, Endresen, Atle Antonsen.With: Atle Antonsen, Linn Skaber, Ane Dahl Torp, Kare Conradi, Jon Oigarden, Steinar Sagen, Jan Saelid, Anne Marit Jacobsen, Ingar Helge Gimle, Magnus Devold, Else Kass Furuseth, Harald Eia, Bard Tufte Johansen. (Norwegian, British dialogue)Doing for your ice-rink-based sport of curling what "Kingpin" did for bowling or "Dodgeball" did for ... er, dodgeball, raucous Norwegian laffer "King Curling" reps a amusing undertake the mock-heroic sporting-underdog genre. Pic throws a spotlight mainly on massive local comedy star Atle Antonsen, who co-written and stars just like a champion who must overcome odds to win an essential match, but co-author-helmer Ole Endresen guarantees the comfort of his skilled cast all obtain the chance to achieve laughs. Produced using professional polish, pic is funny enough, during translation, to go to beyond Norwegian, where it's setup high B.O. amounts. Early action is positioned about 10 years ago, even though combination of seventies and eighties styles and soundtrack options confuse the issue somewhat. Oslo native Truls Paulsen (Antonsen) might be the obsessively competitive captain of Norway's top curling team, a task that (for people who is probably not of Scottish, Canadian or Scandinavian extraction) seems just like a mix between bowling and darts. Truls' team includes ladies' guy Marcus (Jon Oigarden), inflammed Espen (Jan Saelid) and workhorse Flemming (Steinar Sagen), along with Truls' long-term mentor, Gordon (Ingar Helge Gimle), since the team coach, and Truls' wife, Sigrid (Linn Skaber), since the team's one-lady entourage. Sadly, due to obsessive-compulsive habits, Truls totally handles to get rid of it within a match against afro-sporting archrival Stefan Ravndal (Kare Conradi) and also the team, and finally eventually ends up trading 10 years in the mental hospital drugged around his eyeballs. When he's finally released into Sigrid's care, he struggles to reintegrate into society, especially since he's under strict orders not to even consider curling again. However, if he learns that Gordon is dying in the hospital and merely an pricey lung transplant will save you him, Truls decides to reform they for starters last, lucrative match. Script absolutely changes for the traditional loser-to-champion story template, but as being a sonnet or possibly a 3-minute pop song, structural originality is not the reason it's all regulated controlled inside the particulars, the running gags as well as the timing. Pic deftly weaves in subplots together with additional factors -- Espen's frustrations getting a loud milkman, a support group comprised of loonies, some misadventures with bird-audiences -- that stimulate Antonsen and Endresen's roots in TV sketch comedy, similar to the stylishly staged bouts of slapstick, just like a one-take monitoring shot of Truls leading to havoc in the hospital corridor. Otherwise, the humor relies mainly on bathetic campiness, the figures intoning sentiments with greatly serious gravitas in regards to the naturally silly-searching sport they worship. Consequently, handful of in the lines are funny on paper it's the way a thesps deliver these with such intensely straight faces that puts the material across. The ensemble is also excellent Antonsen, strapping but perfectly regular to check out, can be a standout, along with Skaber, both perky and menacing as his frustrated, slightly demented spouse. Production design and costumes deploy the palette of hot pastels and lurid colors needed to stimulate the very best quantity of Nordic kitsch. Lensing by Askild Vik Edvardsen utilizes widescreen framework to full comic effect, while editing by Per Erik Eriksen keeps things ticking fantastically.Camera (color, widescreen), Askild Vik Edvardsen editor, Per Erik Eriksen music, Stein Johan Grieg Halvorsen, Eyvind Andreas Skeie music managers, Henrik Hawor, Johan Husvik production designer, Merete Bostrom costume designer, Camilla Lindblom appear (Dolby Digital), Kenneth Gustavsen appear designer, Baard Haugan Ingebretsen supervisory appear editor, Baard H. Ingebretsen re-recording mixer, Petter Fladeby visual effects supervisor, Oystein Larsen stunt coordinator, Kristoffer Jorgensen line producer, Orjan Karlsen assistant director, Tonje S. Rolland casting, Andrea Eckerbom. Examined at London Film Festival (Cinema Europa), March. 22, 2011. Running time: 78 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com