JUNK MAIL

INTRODUCTION: The Norwegian cinema industry is currently undergoing something of a renaissance and this Critics Week Prize winner at Cannes '97, is just the first to make the treacherous sea crossing.

SYNOPSIS: Roy (Skjaerstad), a man who was beaten to the title of world's worst postman only by a late entry from Mr. Costner, starts stalking Line (Saether) a young deaf woman on his route, only to uncover a dark secret in her past.

REVIEW: Brutal violence, deep psychosis and physical disability (apparently what passes for comedy in Norway) combine in this dark Scandinavian tale that Sletaune describes as "a black comedy about love, money that no one wants, cold canned spaghetti, Karaoke, involuntary good deeds, rutting and the joy of being comatose".

Roy has no apparent socially redeeming features, self obsessed (his only outwardly good deed causing more harm than good), cowardly (heroism comes only accidentally to him) and bordering on the sociopathic (lets not forget that this guy is a stalker) there is little here to gain the audiences sympathy for this Scandinavian slacker, except for the pathos engendered by some stunning performances. Skjaerstad and Saether are superb as the star crossed couple, even if one of them does bear an uncanny resemblance to Tim Roth. Centering on the Roy character to the virtual exclusion of everyone else could have been a mistake had not Skjaerstad been brilliant in his performance. He apparently spent four months in the same shoes perfecting his walk for the character, and even if it does end up looking as if he's constipated, you have to admire that level of commitment. Aske is truly menacing as the "Postman Pat" singing villain of the piece and the rest of the supporting actors are almost too realistic.

Sletaune lets the heist story take very much a back stage to the bizarre burgeoning relationship between Roy and Line, against a backdrop of urban decay, and instead focuses upon such relatively unimportant facets, such as Line's limited diet of Frosties, and the vomit stain on Roy's coat to which he seems to develop a strange attachment. Sletaune's direction has been compared, somewhat unfavourably to Karismaki, but personally I preferred it. Sletaune manages to keep his film lighter than Karismaki without ever descending to the sort of trite ending exemplified by "Drifting Clouds".

As tales of postmen go it's better than "The Postman" and easily equal to "Il Postino".

Mutt's Rating: ****

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