{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Public Square Magazine","provider_url":"https:\/\/publicsquaremag.org","title":"\"Deep\" Norwegian Film About Nothing in the End - Public Square Magazine","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"NTvqxYPdeU\"><a href=\"https:\/\/publicsquaremag.org\/bulletin\/deep-norwegian-film-about-nothing-in-the-end\/\">&#8220;Deep&#8221; Norwegian Film About Nothing in the End<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/publicsquaremag.org\/bulletin\/deep-norwegian-film-about-nothing-in-the-end\/embed\/#?secret=NTvqxYPdeU\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;&#8220;Deep&#8221; Norwegian Film About Nothing in the End&#8221; &#8212; Public Square Magazine\" data-secret=\"NTvqxYPdeU\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/publicsquaremag.org\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","description":"How does a community and the families within it respond to a nearly unspeakable accusation? How do you treat everyone with dignity? How do you suss out the truth? Do you need to? \u201cArmand,\u201d the Norwegian submission for The Academy Award\u2019s best international feature film, sets out as though it is interested in answering those questions. The film opens with a young teacher, a principal, and a school staff member wondering what they are going to do. Armand has done something again. The parents are called in. The film\u2019s premise is that Armand was accused of hitting Jon in the bathroom when Jon said he didn\u2019t want to play with Armand. There are many additional revelations about the context, the relationship between Armand and Jon\u2019s families, and the history of Armand\u2019s family. There are accusations upon accusations that both indict and exonerate the boys and the adults around them. But these revelations eke out. It feels like filling up a mug from a leak in the sink. \u201cIf you want us to know what\u2019s happening, just tell us,\u201d I felt like shouting at the screen more than once. The film\u2019s first act works well. The cinematography is ragged, framing its subjects well but always just off from what we\u2019d expect. Too close, or the light is just wrong. It felt like how I imagine it would feel to have my child accused of something horrific.\u00a0 And when the parents first start talking the tension is terrific. Those first few drops of exposition in the mug were thrilling. Oh there\u2019s something happening here; it\u2019s complicated and interesting.\u00a0 Thea Lambrechts Vaulen, plays Sunna, a young teacher in over her head trying to manage the meeting between Armand\u2019s mother, Elisabeth, played by Renate Reinsve, and Jon\u2019s parents Sarah and Anders played by Ellen Dorrit Petersen and Endre Hellestveit.\u00a0 Vaulen is particularly effective. She has been sent on a mission by her principal, Jarle, to make sure the whole thing blows over. Watching her struggle to navigate this while the parents are processing what\u2019s been said is captivating. But it just keeps going.\u00a0 The film\u2019s entire second act consists of learning the basic facts of what has happened and the context around it. This is a complicated situation, and as a viewer I\u2019m interested to see how the compelling characters navigate that situation. But the screenplay seems mostly interested in telling you the information. As though learning that Armand \u201cplays doctor\u201d at school is enough to compel me to the film\u2019s ending. But once the audience finally understands the situation, the third act begins and flies wildly off the handle into surrealism, including two interpretive dance numbers, three over-the-top metaphors, and five straight minutes of Anders\u2019 mother laughing.\u00a0 The movie feels so desperate to be deep that it forgets to be about anything. It\u2019s the first film of director Halfdan Ullmann T\u00f8ndel, so perhaps the bold ideas and beautiful cinematography will be wielded for a more worthwhile story next time. The film is entirely in Norwegian. And its English subtitles include a fair amount of profanity, though not an overwhelming amount. And the accusations that fly include suicide, alcoholism, and sexual assault. So these are adult themes. The film is R-rated, but not an egregious one, it pretty well all takes place in a parent-teacher conference.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine ever showing this to my kids. The themes are hard ones, and the film has nothing worthwhile to say about them. Two out of five stars. Armand releases in US theaters on February 14, 2025."}