O' Horten

Dir: Bent Hamer

2007

****

Bent Hamer's 2007 comedy O' Horten is a wonderfully quirky affair. It has an ever so slight existential feel about it (I generally hate existential films) but this was never over cooked. It actually worked rather well considering the film's lack of structure, plot or chronology. It's a charmingly whimsical look at retirement and the loneliness/boredom that can often come with it. O' Horton (first name Odd - a common Danish name) leaves his job as train driver after forty years. His routine has been meticulous for four decades and suddenly he finds he has nothing to get out of bed for. After a few days of realizing he has to do something he suddenly starts to take chances, for the first time in his life. Hilarious high jinx follow. O' Horten finds himself trapped in a child's room, get chased out of a swimming pool, has problems selling his prized sailing boat and receives sad news from his local tobacconist. The final chapter sees Hamer come to familiar ground as O' Horten meets (finds face down asleep in the snow) an eccentric inventor with a drink problem and we follow the two older gentlemen discussing life, love, work and death. Ski-jumping is also weaved into the story but it is O' Horten's experience as a train driver that really binds the story together, as each scene is completely different to the next, like a train arriving at the next town/platform. The film is full of Danish cameos apparently but this will mean nothing to none-Danes. The direction and cinematography is beautiful, it reminded me of a mix of Aki Kaurismäki, Roy Andersson and a little bit of Wes Anderson too - minus the animation or models. The last time I saw Bård Owe was in Lars Von Trier's Kingdom and it was a very nice surprise to see him again, he is perfect in the title role. O' Horten is a visually stunning and rather gentle jaunt through a couple of life's big questions and very much my kind of quirky – probably the only time I will recommend an existential film too.