Fantasia 2010: FATSO Review
[Our thanks to Nicolas Krief of Panorama Cinema for the following review and Maude Michod for the translation.]
Based on its sexually suggestive poster and trailer, Fatso appears to be about a fat pervert and his relationship with the female body. Rino lives alone, works as a translator and draws comic books in his spare time; however his main hobby is masturbation. Along with his friend Fillip, he goes to strip clubs and have strange sex habits and discussions. However, his life is about to change when his father introduces him to Malin, his new female roommate.
Fatso sometimes tries to be a Scandinavian equivalent of There's Something About Mary without offering any particularly successful laugh gags. However, the film is not a complete failure as many eccentric characters save the film by adding a good dose of pathos. Fillip (Kyrre Hellum), an unforgettable supporting character, has a fascinating screen presence and a peculiar physique, and we simply cannot wait for him to appear on screen.
Fatso is Rino's character; he embodies the perversion of Jay, the shyness of Bob, in a body similar to Jack Black. Rino could easily transport us in his own little world, but the arrival of Malin transforms the film into a romantic comedy. The film could have offered an interesting exploration of one's own relationship with his body, but instead becomes a common story as the characters seem to follow an obvious thread that destroys any kind of surprise. As a result, we have an abundance of puke, sperm, alcohol, naked breasts and overall uncomfortable situations.
We might not expect much, but Fatso doesn't give us enough and seems to revel in the "slacker" comedy subgenre without venturing outside of the norms. Despite the fact that we don't always laugh out loud, we can still appreciate the attempts the film makes to move away from the 'easy' romantic comedy genre, even though that is exactly what it ends up being. Perhaps the character of Rino could have been different, with an excess of rage or a bit of perverse dementia? Without being a 'must-see' of the 2010 edition of Fantasia, this Norwegian comedy directed by Arild Fröhlich dares to show what American usually only imply all the while confirming that the desire to make people laugh is not strictly a Californian thing. Apart from a few exceptions from France (Guiraudie, Larrieu), international 'sexy' and disturbing comedies are quite rare, which is why a film like Fatso is a breath of fresh air compared to the puritan American humor that usually monopolizes our screens.
Review by Nicolas Krief
Based on its sexually suggestive poster and trailer, Fatso appears to be about a fat pervert and his relationship with the female body. Rino lives alone, works as a translator and draws comic books in his spare time; however his main hobby is masturbation. Along with his friend Fillip, he goes to strip clubs and have strange sex habits and discussions. However, his life is about to change when his father introduces him to Malin, his new female roommate.
Fatso sometimes tries to be a Scandinavian equivalent of There's Something About Mary without offering any particularly successful laugh gags. However, the film is not a complete failure as many eccentric characters save the film by adding a good dose of pathos. Fillip (Kyrre Hellum), an unforgettable supporting character, has a fascinating screen presence and a peculiar physique, and we simply cannot wait for him to appear on screen.
Fatso is Rino's character; he embodies the perversion of Jay, the shyness of Bob, in a body similar to Jack Black. Rino could easily transport us in his own little world, but the arrival of Malin transforms the film into a romantic comedy. The film could have offered an interesting exploration of one's own relationship with his body, but instead becomes a common story as the characters seem to follow an obvious thread that destroys any kind of surprise. As a result, we have an abundance of puke, sperm, alcohol, naked breasts and overall uncomfortable situations.
We might not expect much, but Fatso doesn't give us enough and seems to revel in the "slacker" comedy subgenre without venturing outside of the norms. Despite the fact that we don't always laugh out loud, we can still appreciate the attempts the film makes to move away from the 'easy' romantic comedy genre, even though that is exactly what it ends up being. Perhaps the character of Rino could have been different, with an excess of rage or a bit of perverse dementia? Without being a 'must-see' of the 2010 edition of Fantasia, this Norwegian comedy directed by Arild Fröhlich dares to show what American usually only imply all the while confirming that the desire to make people laugh is not strictly a Californian thing. Apart from a few exceptions from France (Guiraudie, Larrieu), international 'sexy' and disturbing comedies are quite rare, which is why a film like Fatso is a breath of fresh air compared to the puritan American humor that usually monopolizes our screens.
Review by Nicolas Krief
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