''Buddy'' is a 2003 Norwegian film directed by Morten Tyldum after a script by

Lars Gudmestad Lars is a common male name in Scandinavian countries. Origin ''Lars'' means "from the city of Laurentum". Lars is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel". A homonymous Etruscan name was bo ...

. The music was composed by Lars Lillo-Stenberg, known from the band

DeLillos deLillos is a Norwegian poprock band formed in Oslo in 1984. They are generally regarded as one of the "Four Greats" in modern Norwegian pop music, i.e. one of the four 1980s groups that founded a new tradition for rock music with lyrics in Nor ...

. The film was well received by critics, and won two Amanda Awards in 2004.

Plot

The film is about 24-year-old Kristoffer (

Nicolai Cleve Broch Nicolai Cleve Broch (born 14 November 1975) is a Norwegian theatre and film actor. He rose to national fame playing one of the leading roles in the 2002 drama series ''Lekestue'', which aired on NRK in 2002. He is also known for playing the protag ...

), who lives in Tøyen in Oslo with his friends Geir ( Aksel Hennie) and Stig Inge (

Anders Baasmo Christiansen Anders Baasmo (born 29 January 1976) is a Norwegian actor originally from Hamar. Baasmo graduated from the Norwegian Acting Academy in 2000. He started his professional career at the Trøndelag Teater in Trondheim, Norway. He later joined the ...

). Geir likes to live dangerously, while Stig is a more cautious and uncertain type. Kristoffer and Geir work as billboard hangers, and in his spare time Kristoffer makes a video diary with Geir and Stig, containing stunts of a '' Jackass''-nature. When Kristoffer's girlfriend, Elisabeth (

Janne Formoe Janne is a common given name in the Nordic countries. In Denmark, Norway and Estonia it is considered a feminine name, while in Sweden and Finland it is considered masculine. In Sweden and Finland it is often used as a nickname for people with rel ...

), leaves him, his life seems to fall to pieces. Then his videos are featured on Norway's most popular talk show, "God morgen Norge" on TV 2, and Kristoffer becomes famous.

Main cast

* Kristoffer Haukeland – Nicolai Cleve Broch * Geir – Aksel Hennie * Stig Inge Otnes – Anders Baasmo Christiansen * Henriette – Pia Tjelta * Elisabeth – Janne Formoe

Production

The idea for the movie started with two A4 pages of text in January 2002, from which it developed quickly. The creators described it as a love declaration for the city of Oslo, a city they believed was under-represented on film. The choice of composer for the score – Lars Lillo-Stenberg – was in the same spirit; in the words of Tyldum: "He ''is'' Oslo". ''Buddy'' received support from ''Norsk Filmfond'' – the Norwegian government body for film funding – on 12 June 2002. Neither the script writer, the director, the producer or the actor for the main character had worked with feature-length films prior to this project. The director, Morten Tyldum, had worked with television, music videos, commercials and short films before, and he had been named "Film talent of the year" by the newspaper '' Dagbladet'' in 1999, but this was his first full-length motion picture.

Reception

''Buddy'' was generally well received by the Norwegian press. The newspaper'' Verdens Gang'' gave it five out of six points, and remarked that in spite of a simple story, the movie was "damn well made". ''Dagbladet'' was less impressed, and gave the film a " die throw" of four out of six pips. The reviewer concluded that the film makers had succeeded in what they set out to do: to create an essentially "harmless" "feel-good-movie" after an American model. The movie was also released internationally, and reviewed by the American magazine '' Variety''. Eddie Cockrell, as opposed to the Norwegian reviewers, thought the film was "overly plotted". He found the movie to be "on the sweet side", but commended its "solid, sympathetic characterizations from the five leads". The film was awarded two Amandas in 2004: for "Best Film (Norwegian)" and "Best Actor" (Christiansen). It was also nominated in the category "Best Screenplay". It also received the "Audience Award" and the "Most Enjoyable Film" (awarded by Theatre Owners) at the Norwegian International Film Festival, the festival where the Amandas are awarded. At the

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ( cs, Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary) is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become ...

in the Czech Republic it won the "Audience Award" in competition with 200 other films.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Buddy (2003 Film) 2003 films 2003 romantic comedy films 2000s Norwegian-language films Films shot in Norway Films directed by Morten Tyldum 2003 directorial debut films Norwegian romantic comedy films