I recently saw this at the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival and it was one of the audience favorites making the Best of the Fest lineup for the festivals final day of films. My screening was also fortunate to have it's filmmaker Petter Naess on hand for a Q&A. This film is Norway's official selection for consideration for an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Director Naess already has been nominated once before for his film Elling and with this gem he may get yet another nomination. This film is adapted by Naess and Johan Bogaeus from a novel by Erlend Loe. It tells the story of a bachelor (Tron Fausa Aurvaag). who is never really given a name in the film, and his pretty neighbor Marianne (Marian Saastad Otteson) who cherishes silence but talks all the time and somehow worms her way into the bachelor's life and ultimately as his exclusive love interest. Aurvaag and Otteson are great casting and their wonderful facial and body expressions bring this comedic story to life. Also wonderful in great supporting roles are Peter Stormare as the bachelor's buddy Glenn from the gym's pool who has also wormed his way into his life and the two lead characters other love interests, the Parisian Mirlinda (Louise Monet) and the naturalist eagle watcher Tor (Henrik Mestad). This is a fun movie and beautifully photographed and well scripted. Otteson is also great in a supporting role in another feature that played the festival called The Art of Negative Thinking and I would suggest looking for her that wonderful film too. I would give Gone with the Woman an 9.0 out of 10 and highly recommend it for a fresh and fun simple story.
Review of Gone with the Woman
