Heftig og begeistret (2001) User Reviews

Crossing Boundaries

[B24 · 7/10 · 26 June 2003]

Like the choir from Finnmark, I had occasion to visit northern Russia during the summer of 2000. They were as astonished as I to find a very sharp contrast indeed between their settled, middle-class lives at home and the chaotic waste of Murmansk. Yet they connected, as did I, with an initially reluctant and sombre Russian people. Consider for a moment what a hellish past those souls have to live with, compared with life in a northern Scandinavian fishing village which, except for 1940-45, has been recently no more than a leisurely slide into economic oblivion.

Listening to the casual words of the old Norwegian gentlemen as they bare their own personal histories, one senses this film is more than a documentary. It succeeds in assessing life much as a novelist might, engaging in subtle character sketches against the spectacular backdrop of midnight sun, roaring sea, blizzards, and the stark, ever-present silhouette of Arctic sky. It was like listening to one of Garrison Keillor's tales of "Norwegian bachelor farmers" who are a mainstay of Minnesota folklore.

As a sidenote, I was amused to hear the choir sing a hymn that was, if memory serves correctly, penned by a distant cousin of mine from Iowa in 1857. Sung with different words and in Norwegian, of course. It began life as "The Little Brown Church in the Vale" and has evolved into something sung with exactly the same sense as a memory of a white church in Finnmark.

Crossing boundaries often results in noting that life is very much the same everywhere among common folk. Wherever you go, there you are.

beautiful creativity against a stark land

[nils_p · 8/10 · 23 January 2005]

It is unfortunate to hear that the English translation led to a "farce" portrayal of these creative and passionate men. I saw the film while living in northern Sweden (Kiruna), so the Swedish subtitles were perhaps a little less shadowed with an unfortunate UK comedy interpretation.

Understandably, there is a light heartedness to the film, but for me it paints a wonderfully soft and vulnerable side of these men that live and work in a land that is far from either. The "close and personal" time spent in their bathrooms, kitchen, and so on - although very out of place in north American culture - is simply a glimpse of the heart of most Scandinavians; be it from Stockholm or from Berlevåg. A comfortable sense of being and appreciation for creature comforts and enjoyed time - the kettle, coffee, preparing dinners, soaking in a bath, enjoying a cigarette... this couldn't be better shown than the bold image of big, hardy, bearded Norwegian enjoying a bubble bath.

Striking and possibly troubling image in north America, but completely understood in Scandinavia.

"why was this movie made". Well, here is my attempt to maybe give reason... as with any documentary following a group of people through their daily life - be it in Tibet, the outback or a tiny tribe in the Amazon - there rarely is a beginning, end, loss, gain or message delivered on a frying pan. This is simply a portrait of a group of men that amidst their hardships, lost loves, sacrifices, have found something amongst them that truly gives them reason. And that is probably enough reason for the film right there.

From softly sad stories of lost relationships and long faces, they transform the second they come together for their rehearsal; grinning from ear to ear, cheeks rising in to the squint of smiling eyes and a boyish excitement that moves over everyone.

In a land where men are demanded upon by their environment to live the harsh life that is expected of them, here is a group that lets its guard down, opens itself to heartfelt passion and creativity, and the enjoyment of shared times with close friends. Refreshing.

Fantastic film, beautiful contrasts and wonderfully Norwegian!

I´ll make it short

[frank-68835 · 8/10 · 15 December 2020]

Its a movie about life and life expectations in general from your point of view. Your point of view may be extremely different from whats portrayed in the movie, and thats excactly what makes this movie brilliant.

I loved it but...

[lucy-66 · 7 March 2002]

I saw this movie in central London. General age group of the audience was quite young, and I heard one say "wonderful film!" as they left, also they applauded. But some of the audience treated it as a bit of a freak show. They seemed to think these ugly, old people were hilarious, and laughed whenever they did anything slightly "embarrassing". Maybe this says more about English people than it does about the film or about Norwegian people! But I found something in the way the film was made that invited you to laugh, and not kindly. The choir members were encouraged to reveal themselves: their pasts, their sex lives, their naked bodies (in the bath). But sometimes the camera deliberately made them grotesque. Do they really sing outside during snowstorms? The performances you heard were certainly not recorded in snowstorms but in a hall, and dubbed on. Also sound effects like whistling wind were exaggerated, apparently for 'comic' effect. The English translations of the songs were laughable - deliberately? This film is not as innocent as it seems.

Not as Cool and Crazy as I hoped

[mannb-938-88175 · 6/10 · 1 May 2014]

What I thought was lacking an introduction, end, and a message, the Norwegian documentary, Cool and Crazy directed by Knut Erik Jensen, was quite different from any Hollywood style documentary I've ever seen. The documentary followed an all male choir based in a small, rural fishing town in Berlevåg, Norway. As the male choir is composed of mainly older men, the majority of the documentary included personal interviews with the various choir members sharing life stories. Expecting an emphasized message of some sort or to be persuaded to act on a certain social problem, I was slightly confused about what the exact purpose and intent of the documentary was. While I felt slightly disconnected from what was happening on screen, I noticed there were outstanding aspects of Norwegian culture portrayed, overly simplistic camera shots and dialogue, and a sense of nostalgia being expressed through many of the men in the choir.

One overarching Norwegian aspect that is fundamental to Cool and Crazy is the portrayal of rural vs. urban landscape and the importance of nature and the environment to the Norwegian population. We see the extreme rural setting of Berlevåg during the various songs the entire choir sings throughout the documentary. For example, the first song the audience gets to watch is the choir singing in a barren, tundra setting with choir standing in mostly empty land. Throughout the documentary there are many still shots of solely the land and environment. Along with the emphasized idea of rural versus urban setting, another idea that is present in many Norwegian films is outsiders coming together and forming sense of family. The theme of outsiders in society is extremely apparent in each of the personal interviews because most of the men are living alone in an extremely small town. Many of the singers talk about their past lives with their loved ones, however many of them are now independent. All of them slowly becoming outsiders during their life, but they all discuss how the choir brings them together and forms a support system for one another. One singer says that choir practices are his favorite part of the day. The audience is given a close look at how landscape, nature, and the environment play a part of the Norwegian culture in a rural setting, as well as the role outsiders have in society.

In order to emphasize the setting and role of outsiders in the documentary extremely simple camera shots were utilized, as well as no added or pre-written dialogue during the film. The still shots of the landscape and environment that stayed on the screen for longer durations of time allows the viewer to really take in the cold, empty, rural land. I think these still shots were taken to impact the mood of the viewer, creating a sense of simplicity. Along with the continuous still camera shots, there is not added dialogue to the documentary. The only talking that carries the documentary are the interviews of the choir members. This is an interesting choice to centralize all the communication in Cool and Crazy on solely interviews. I thought this style of interaction was slightly boring because the interviews differed so much from each other that there wasn't a central theme or idea for the documentary to build off of. Other then the men all being in the same choir, it was though for me to follow along because there were just so many men sharing parts of their life stories. I had trouble extracting any sort of take home message from the documentary due to the way the filming jumped from interview to interview with no apparent connections.

By the end of the documentary, I started trace a sense of nostalgia that was expressed in the various interviews. The nostalgia beamed through when the men from the choir would talk about their past women and how they were so beautiful, how they missed them, and how those were the "good days". During one of the interviews a man commented on how he had tamed down immensely with women compared to back in the day. I think this idea of remembering and reminiscing the past is universally a significant aspect of people's lives, and this is what allows the viewer and the men being interviewed to make a connection.

While some interesting stories were shared throughout the interviews in Cool and Crazy, I had high hopes for this Norwegian documentary about the famous all men's choir from Berlevåg, but wasn't quite satisfied with what I watched on screen. Though there were interesting aspects of Norway's culture exhibited and the universal sense of nostalgia presented in the documentary that caught my attention, I think director Knut Erik Jensen could have created a slightly more cohesive, entertaining, and engaging documentary.

A Beautiful Paradox

[friedman-302-406495 · 6/10 · 23 April 2012]

Understated yet compelling, "Cool and Crazy" effortlessly explores the paradoxes of past vs. present, community vs. isolation, and religion vs. secularism.This well-received full-length documentary from acclaimed Norwegian director Knut Erik Jenson provides an in-depth look at the Berlevåg Men's Choir – its music, its travels, and most importantly, its members. It is a compilation of the choir's performances, of candid interviews with the men, and of the stark winter environment of Finnmark. Slow-moving and without much action, the film mirrors daily life in the small northern Norwegian village: Berlevåg is a quiet, traditional fishing community with strong ties to the church. Yet the effects of globalization and modernization are seeping into this village, displacing much of the population and secularizing and isolating the remaining inhabitants. Even an audience that knows little about rural Scandinavian culture is familiar with this disturbing process. The conflict between past and present is an international theme that touches the heart of many. American viewers leave "Cool and Crazy" with a sense of sympathy and connection that most foreign documentaries fail to impart.

The principal paradox in this film is that between past and present. As one of the choir members explains, Berlevåg was once a flourishing fishing community. Not only did fishing provide employment, it was the backbone of the village's culture. One of the choir's songs is about working in the fishing factory. The lyrics describe the various jobs involved in filleting the fish and light-heartedly poke fun at the gendered dimension of the work. Many other songs discuss fishing more subtly, referring to the sea as the source of life or as Mother Nature herself. But times are changing. Many of Berlevåg's residents have migrated to cities in order to pursue a more "modern" lifestyle. "Money controls the people," one of the singers explains. The decrease in fisheries from five to one, lack of cars or pedestrians on the street, and excess of elderly choir members all confirm the abandonment. Berlevåg is a shell of its former self. Yet all is not lost. One of the choir's youngest members, probably in his late twenties or early thirties, declares that he and his wife plan to stay in the village because it is a good place to raise their three children. An older member tells us that his grandchildren live in the village as well. And then there's the middle-aged fisherman who could have been a mathematician but decided to spend his life as a fisherman, asking with a smile, "Why strive for more when you have a fulfilling life?" All of these signs point to a past that, while fading, is far from lost.

As the majority of people leave Berlevåg in the name of modernization, the community disintegrates and those few that remain find themselves newly isolated. A number of men in the choir speak of a time when the port was thick with ships and the fisheries bustled with busy men and women. Their voices are filled with nostalgia, faces heavy with wrinkles. Even their houses have a sad silence. One of the most poignant moments of the film is when an elderly choir member says "I especially appreciate the rehearsals now that I'm alone." He is taking about the death of his long-time girlfriend, but the audience understands he is also referring to the deeper loneliness of a greater abandonment. This sense of isolation is enforced by the frequent shots of nature: windy fields, calm ocean, snowy skies – all desolate and remote, yet profoundly beautiful. The subtle, distinct beauty of this environment speaks to the fact that Berlevåg's community, like the past, is not gone. The focus of the film, after all, is a tight-knit group of men that comes together not only to sing, but also to chat, cook, and offer support. An apt example of this positive male culture is the scene in which two of the men are preparing a meal together, gently mocking one another about his weight. There is no violence, no underlying cruelty or anger – just good friends having fun. What's more, the viewer observes a number of middle-aged men and a few young men as the camera slowly pans across the choir. The fact that the choir is multi-generational inspires hope for the future. Perhaps the younger men can act as a bridge between past, present, and future. Perhaps the community will carry on in the years to come, even in the form of a small men's choir.

Less the result of modernization and more the result of globalization, Berlevåg is becoming increasingly secularized. One can plainly see Christianity's mark on the village: the simple white church on the hill, the deeply religious lyrics and hymnal quality of many of the choir's songs. Yet the church and the music are more symbols than indications of a strong, active faith. Religion is clearly a thing of the past. Never do we see a church service in session. Never do the choir members mention God or Christ. Even the church organist openly considers himself an atheist or agnostic. And then there's the staunch communist, the ultimate representation of secularity. Unlike that between past and present or community and isolation, this paradox seems to lack complexity. Berlevåg appears to be moving distinctly from religion to secularism, with no sign of indecisiveness. Yet the choir's songs – undeniably placed at the center of the film – speak of spirituality, the bible, and Christian values. Is the singing of this music simply a tribute to the past, to things long gone never to return again? Or does it suggest a vague preservation, even continuation of these beliefs? The viewer leaves the film, somewhat uneasily, without an answer to this question. But perhaps that is Jenson's point: "Cool and Crazy" represents a village – and a world – caught smack dab in the middle of the past and the future. And no one knows where we'll end up.

truth is stranger than fiction

[alexmillier · 10/10 · 26 June 2005]

Why would anyone want to see a film about the lives of people in a mens' choir in Northern Norway? I first saw this film in Norway without subtitles. As my command of Norsk is not so good, I missed much of the nuance but still enjoyed this delightful film. I now own a copy with subtitles and love sharing it with friends and family. As a professional musician I delight in a story of music bringing people from all walks of life and generations together. This film conveys that and more.

It shows how economic and physical hardship and adversity are not barriers to a fulfilling and happy life. Some may think it trivializes the lives of the subjects of the film, but I feel it celebrates them. It shows us how all our lives however ordinary they may seem to us, can be inspirational to others.

Sport is often lauded for its heroes, yet this film conveys the team spirit of a mens choir striving for a collective and individual best. Their pride and enthusiasm is infectious and uplifting as is their earthy humour.

This film is all that a blockbuster is not. It is about the human condition, about community, about respect for others and about real people.

Snow and Singing

[anahains · 7/10 · 27 April 2014]

Cool and Crazy explores the lives of men who participate in an all-male choir in Finnmark. The film covers a wide range of topics that are part of the choir men's histories and daily lives. Basically, Cool and Crazy is just a glimpse into the everyday life of these choir men. This documentary investigates why the men participate in this choir, their well-being, perspectives on religion and politics, and what it means to live in a harsh place like Finnmark.

The men all have different reasons for their choir membership. Many of the men participate in the choir because it gives them a feeling of companionship. Some of the members are quite old and their significant others are deceased. One man described himself as 'a bit of a Casanova' in his youth but that all of that had stopped. In fact, men talked about female companionship more than they actually had it throughout the film. These men probably joined the choir for the companionship and interaction. Other men cited their musical drive as their purpose for participating in choir. One mentioned he wanted to be a pop star when he was younger. Another said he felt a need to play. He was versed in multiple instruments but said he was awful at all of them. Others said similar things like the need to belong and wanting to feel fulfilled.

Most of the men seem to be perfectly content with their way of life. One man said he had the opportunity to study engineering at a university some time ago but he would rather fish instead. He expressed his love for fishing and talked about how people needed fisherman. He felt much fulfillment with his life. On a similar vein, the drug addict, despite being homeless and using meth for 12 years, said that he had no regrets. He had stopped using drugs and talked fondly about his ex-wife and ex-girlfriends. The filmmakers followed one man to the doctor and listened as he explained he had never been skinny. This man had a bright attitude and even joked around with his friend about it. Most of the men had positive and carefree attitudes about life but some were a bit darker. The communist was a bit angrier than the rest of the men and engaged in political debates with other members of the choir.

Politics and religion are topics that every culture understands. The men in the choir are no different. The communist expresses his admiration for Lenin and the Soviet Union. He claims to have gotten less vocal with age but still vigorously defended the Soviet Union's actions. All the men share an intense dislike for Hitler and Nazi Germany which probably stems from the fact that a lot of the men lived through World War II. One man survived a German bombing that killed his brother when he was a boy. Watching the scene where the men honored those that died fighting the Germans in Russia was very touching. Some of the men also talk about their views on religion. Like the majority of Scandinavia, many of the men don't appear to participate in organized religion. The drug addict described himself as agnostic. Another man said he never went to church when he was younger, not even on Christmas, but he started going when he started playing the organ. Now that he goes, he thinks church attendance is a really good thing and it is part of his life.

The raw beauty of Finnmark is captured beautifully in this film. The cinematography of the men singing outdoors is fantastic. The environment is harsh and all of the residents of this town feel the strain of survival. In some of the scenes, it is difficult to hear the men over the snow or surf and they must sing together to make themselves heard. These scenes inspire the view to imagine the men are united against the harsh nature of Finnmark. One man says that the choir and the thing that keeps the surf from pounding in are the only things keeping the town alive.

Cool and Crazy is a great film that explores the lives of a close group of men in a very small northern town. What is remarkable is how relatable the men are despite the differences in nationality and age. Many of the men reminded me of my grandfathers because of their dispositions. Despite living in a harsh place, the men are happy and content with their home and choir.

You never saw a movie like this

[larsga · 10/10 · 21 April 2006]

This is the only movie I ever watched twice in a cinema. The first time I recall being confused at the end, being unable to tell if I was laughing or crying. Never, ever, did I have a movie experience like this.

Unfortunately, if you are not Norwegian, and you can't understand what the people in the movie are saying you will necessarily lose out on a lot. (A lot of inexplicable value and detail is in how they talk.) Also, if you don't know much about Norway and the arctic region there are lots of things you won't understand. As a an example picked at random, if you're Norwegian, the first 30 seconds are a pretty poignant meditation on the poverty of state charity in the richest oil nation on earth, but if you are not Norwegian it will be utterly incomprehensible. (On the other hand, it's only 30 seconds, so if you're not Norwegian you can just watch that floating past and ignore it.) What I really loved about the movie is the way it shows normal people (for Northern Norway, which means they're not really normal at all) not going about their normal business, but talking openly and honestly about the things that matter the most to them in their lives. The scene where the communist (at 70 degrees north near the Soviet Union during the cold war this actually meant something) ruminating about his freewheeling former life as a punk rock singer while brushing himself in the bathtub is priceless. 2-3 minutes of that alone is worth the price of buying the movie, watching it 5 times, *and* learning Norwegian so you can understand what the hell the guy is saying. ("Thinking back it often makes me sad. *leisurely stroke of the brush* Oftentimes it was just pure lust. *brushing soap out of his beard* You know, being the vocalist, you would be the most attractive. *breaks off, stares at soapy water*) This may sound ridiculous, but watching the movie it is painfully clear that for the guy in the tub, what he's talking about is the high point of his life, and here he's offering it freely, with no reservations, in the movie. It's only a few minutes altogether, and it alone is worth more than I could tell you. You may laugh, or you may cry, or you may not know which.

And so it goes, throughout the entire movie. The characters are frequently hilarious, frequently murderously honest (the drug addict talking about how he'd meet the coastal ferry on the quay every day in the hope of a talent spotter spotting him; the church organist on how the Luftwaffe put a metal plate into his head; the drug addict on the joys (and troubles) of having his own apartment for the first time; the convinced communist crying at a war memorial across the Russian border; the whole choir wordlessly aghast at the environmental destruction at the metalworks in Nikel...), and never anything less than absolutely riveting.

I think I could probably retell this movie frame by frame, despite having watched it only twice. Most parts of it are indelibly etched on the insides of my eyes. Forty years from now I may have forgotten the names of my grandchildren, and still remember the guy who keeps the photo of his first sweetheart (from when he was 16) on the living-room wall, despite his wife's disapproval (shhh! he tells the camera (the CAMERA!), and who still brushes his hair for best effect (with water) at 75, vain as a peacock, and who doesn't care at all that the whole world gets to see all of this.

And so it goes, on and on, throughout the entire movie. These people lay their lives bare in details so poignant and telling that the mere thought of it fills me with awe, and the end is sad because it means the end of the movie. It's touching, ridiculous, painful, and unforgettable. If I could only keep one movie out of the hundreds I've seen, it would be this one, and I would consider the loss of all the others pretty cheap.

If you can't understand Norwegian dialect, multiply the above by 0.8, as much of the nuance of what is said will be lost on you.

Lost in Translation

[proitz · 6/10 · 26 April 2012]

In Cool and Crazy, we meet a group of Norwegian men who are all a part of the men's choir in a little town called Berlevåg in Finnmark. In between their performances, we get to hear some of the members talk about their lives and how they ended up in the little isolated town that has about 1,000 inhabitants. We get to follow them on a tour to Murmansk in Russia, where they seem to be very popular. The director Knut-Erik Jensen's unique way of portraying the individual characters, themes, and culture in this documentary makes it an enjoyable experience for someone that appreciates the northern Norwegian way of life.

The characters in this movie all have their own individual characteristics; however, they all share the stereotypical northern Norway attitude. They speak what's on their mind and they have a way with words that makes them come off as a little obnoxious. To an outsider, this behavior can be frightening or unpleasant, but this is a part of the culture and should not be taken personally. I think their unique humor and behavior is a huge part of this film that will disappear if the movie is watched with subtitles.

I would say the main theme in this movie is solidarity. One of the members in the choir claims that he would not be living in Berlevåg if it weren't for the choir. To me, living in a town only because you are a member of the choir requires some strong bonds. There is also a big gap between the oldest and the youngest person in the choir, and the older men show gratitude towards the treatment they get from the younger members. My experience with people from northern Norway is exactly that: they stick together and take care of each other. Solidarity is a key word in Norwegian culture and this movie illustrates the importance of this value.

This movie does a really good job of portraying the culture of a small town and the atmosphere of isolation in northern Norway. There is an eccentric vibe that is a result of the positive attitude to life that is typically found in this particular part of the country. The landscape is beautiful and by contrasting it with the grey and rocky landscape in Murmansk, Jensen is able to highlight the extreme environment that Finnmark offers. Most places in Norway are strongly influenced by other cultures; however, this movie proves that, due to the characters' traditional lifestyle, the influence has not reached all parts of Norway.

Jensen, originally from Finnmark, does an extremely good job of portraying the northern way of life. We get to see the choir perform songs in places that aim to emphasize the scenery in Finnmark. In between the performances we see personal interviews with some of the choir members. The filming during these interviews is very natural with a hand-held camera, which give the viewer a feeling of being present at the filming. In contrast, the performances were filmed with artificial light and a steady camera that made it look very professional. Jensen's use of close ups and varied camera angles allows the viewer to get personal with the characters they recognize from the interviews. Jensen's approach of portraying his message in this documentary is not the typical BBC approach. Instead of illustrating with facts, he lets the audience experience for themselves how the people in Berlevåg live their life.

Cool and Crazy is a documentary that seeks to capture the mysterious atmosphere of a small town in northern Norway. I think Jensen manages to do exactly that by getting personal with the characters and letting them talk freely about the aspects of life that interest them. Personally, I enjoyed the movie; however, I feel like it would have been hard to capture the detail around the special dynamics and atmosphere if I were unexposed to the northern Norwegian culture. Even more so, if I did not speak the language and were unable to pick up on the dialect and the unique humor and behavior that comes with it, I think I would have had a hard time sitting through it. Losing this aspect of the movie would make a huge difference.

Luke Warm & Relaxed

[film-critic · 4/10 · 2 April 2006]

I have read several reviews that ask the question, "Why was this film made"? I myself found that question looming in my mind as the hour and twenty minute feature seemed to drag near the middle, only to give off the sensation that it was picking up steam at the end, when in actuality it was doing nothing of the sort. So, "Why was this film made"? I think that is a great question for those watching Heftig og begeistret to ask themselves. This reviewer is proud of director Knut Erik Jensen for giving us this powerful image of hope, brotherhood, and inspiration with this all male choir, but I do not think that Jensen did enough to bring a gripping story to the table. Let me pose this question to you, "Do audience members need more in a documentary than just a straight forward story to maintain interest"? My answer is yes, and this is where Jensen failed. Heftig og begeistret was a good documentary, but it was far from great. Jensen did a horrible job with the story and dedication of the subjects. It was great to hear the songs, but over time, those songs seemed dull, overwhelming, and a bit precocious. From the opening scene where our men are singing their hearts out in a blinding snow, I knew that I was hooked, but as the film developed I lost interest. Why? Jensen never took us, the audience members, to the next level. He kept the playing field level and ultimately hurt the overall tone of the film. Was this a movie about the music or about the men in the choir? The world may never know.

Again, I would like to state that Jensen did a phenomenal job of finding an interesting story about this group of men who have definitely seen hard times and how they coped with that through music, but it was as if the all male choir were a bunch of the most boring men ever created. Jensen gave us the music superbly, but it was the characters, the subjects, that I knew nothing about by the end of the film. In the mix we had a 97 year old man who still had his driver's license, we had a large man in a tub singing classic American songs, we had old men who were once heartthrobs in their youth, we had some tension between the youth of the choir and the veteran singers, and we even had an ex-drug addict that had only been clean for eleven years. Did Jensen develop these interesting stories at all? Nope, he left them on the table. It was obvious that these singers were willing to talk further about it (see the political man who missed his political days), but Jensen seemed to clear away from those heartfelt moments and head straight back into interesting places that he could have the choir sing. To me, the music was defined at the beginning of the film, I wanted to be introduced and hear the stories of these individual men. They were all captivating, yet Jensen seemed to ignore them completely.

By ignoring the major subjects of this documentary, Jensen became unsuccessful in creating any sort of tension towards the end. Without giving the ending away, I felt like Jensen was coloring in the lines. Instead of being bold outside the lines, he chose to create no moment of sympathy, emotion, nervousness, or sadness. Jensen took our subjects from point A to point B to point C without asking us to become involved in any way shape or form. I can see how national sentiment had made this film into a huge success in Norway, but for everyone else watching (i.e. ME) more was necessarily needed. I wanted to feel for these guys. I wanted to know if they were going to do well as they traveled, or just find themselves loved in their own city. There was no story, mostly in part to no development of the subjects. When you watch modern documentaries (oddly, this film was made in 2001), you want it to play out similar to any Hollywood feature film. You want suspense, realism, and drama, alas, with Heftig og begeistret you get nothing of the sort.

Overall, I must ask the question again, "Why was this film made"? My final answer Alex, is that Jensen wanted to show how troubling times and a changing economy can still produce happiness in even the coldest places of Earth. I think that Jensen wanted to show human dedication and how something as simple as singing can unite a population. With that said, Jensen demonstrated that perfectly in this film, but he did not create a good documentary. When you make a film of this nature, I feel that you must look within the group, examine the choir participants and hear each one of their stories to bring about an ending that will grip your heart. The only thing that this film gripped was my attention span as it attempted to leave the room at rocket speed. Again, I do not want to sound negative about this film because the music was excellent and the men singing did bring about a feeling of honesty, but I needed more. With documentaries becoming a bigger staple of the film community, one expects a bit more than what Heftig og begeistret handed to us. I want to see reality and people, not just another song and dance routine!

Grade: ** out of *****

Great movie

[BillyWhitehurst · 9/10 · 14 March 2001]

"Heftig og Begeistret" is a truly wonderful movie. Within the limits of a documentary, it says everything that could be said about life generally and life in the North of Norway especially. The singers in Berlevåg Mens-choir are the subject of the film, and we follow them for about a year, both when they sing, and when they are at home.

The beauty of having men standing next to the great ocean, singing songs unaffected of the weather (they are singing in rain, snow, storm and midnight sun), cannot be explained, it must be viewed. Further, there's the great amount of funny one-liner's these old guys present to us. (As the 96 years old man says about his bedroom: "This used to be a working room, now it's a museum.")

Then again, the movie shows how politics have separated the world, even at a small place like Berlevåg. During their tour to Murmansk, communists among the singers clash with the others, as the destroyed nature of the former Soviet Union comes to view. And it's a strong scene when one of the old communists burst into crying when he comes to a memorial place from WWII.

Perhaps the genius of the movie is the fact that anyone can recognize the people in the movie with someone you already know.

Boring, Boring, Boring

[crowshaw · 1/10 · 15 August 2019]

Saw this movie at the TIFF movie festival. Only time I've been...never went again. I'm afraid to ever see another movie like this.This movie is slow, boring and uninteresting...did I mention BORING!!! If your looking for a natural way to fall asleep at night, put on this movie and I'll guarantee you'll be out like a baby!

Impressive, cool

[Niller-2 · 9/10 · 13 January 2002]

Small spoiler below (?!)

I saw this film in an alternative cinema in Gothenburg, Sweden.. together with about 15 other curious people (filling the room). We were not disappointed, although through the first half it was not too clear where we were to be taken. Happily a bit of action came in with the bus-tour to Murmansk in Russia, a worn down Soviet naval base. Hereby the convinced communist in the choire became a protagonist, not a bad move. This also added some contrast to the image of life in the cold and isoloated but still welfare coverede northern Norwegian fishing town.

For some reason I think that if you liked 'Buena Vista social club', another documentary about music and people getting old in a changing society, you will also like this one.

I give this film 9 out of 10 because its originality and credibility. It simply makes you want to cruise up the coast of Norway and step ashore in Berlevåg to meet these people and watch them sing!

Heftig og Begeistret

[mh_olsen · 9/10 · 1 January 2007]

"Why was the movie made?" - Well it all started with Knut Erik Jensen listening to them in church then making the movie.

For me the movie was real. People who say is fake is wrong. Under the filming they cried, laughed and had discussion. The movie made Berlevåg visible on the map, and people still comes to Berlevåg to see the place and the movie.

To me it was fun seeing the other side of the people then just the singing.

"Have the ever performed outside?" - Yes they have, before the movie and after the movie. And during one of those out sides people got sick, but no one complained and everyone was just happy about the movie..

Knut Erik Jensen is a great man and he made a fantastic movie, maybe he should have showed us other sides of the movie, but then again, maybe he did?

The Little Things

[ways-303-754512 · 5/10 · 25 April 2012]

Sometimes it's easy to forget the little things in life. There are so many things to keep us busy and to keep us moving along, with little time to pause for a break. As a college student in the United States, I often am kept very busy and being near a city, it's easy to forget a lot of important things. Obviously the culture in Norway is different, but I feel that the idea still applies. "Cool and Crazy" is a documentary about a group of men in a choir in a small town in Finnmark, in the northern part of Norway. I wasn't the biggest fan of the film, but I tried to understand why it would be a popular film and why others found it important.

This town in Finnmark was relatively isolated and untouched by some aspects of urban culture. It seemed to be mainly inhabited by elderly couples or single people. The choir is obviously a very important part of the community, and the documentary focused mainly on the choir. It was very different to the documentaries that I'm accustomed to seeing though. Everything was filmed with a hand-held camera on location. There were no interviews in studios or computer-generated sequences. I felt like this made it so much more real than what I'm used to seeing. The singing scenes were set up, but it seemed as though everything else was filmed as it was. They interviewed the men in their own homes, so the men continued to go about their daily life and talk to the camera about whatever they wished.

The film captured a number of aspects of life that seem to be often overlooked, but that are a part of daily life nevertheless. Personally, I don't see why it was necessary to film an elderly man in his bath tub or to go look in a man's closet, but it's true that those are parts of daily life. Everything seems much simpler in the film and life seems so much simpler. It seems that the men that were filmed had the time to do what they wanted and weren't pressured by society like so many people are today. They made sure to appreciate the little things in life.

The fact that the entire film was about older men was very different, because most films aren't about the elderly. It gave the viewer a different perspective. We are able to see more about their lives and what it's like living in an isolated town in northern Norway. It has a sort of mystical feel to it, the fact that it's so far removed from anything else. It seems as though it could also be a bit nerve-wracking, being in a tiny fishing village in northern Norway where it can obviously get extremely cold. To me, it doesn't seem like the most "comfortable" place to live, but everybody in the film seems extremely happy with where they are. It could very well be something that is just difficult for some people to understand if they've never experienced it.

As a native English speaker with only some knowledge of Norwegian, I found it difficult to understand a lot of what was going on, and I feel that a large part of what they were saying may have been lost in translation. A lot of what happened didn't make sense to me, which could be why I didn't like it very much. There didn't seem to be any sort of storyline at all, other than that the choir was going to go to Murmansk. Most documentaries seem to have an educational goal or idea, whereas "Cool and Crazy", as far as I could tell, was extremely random and followed no storyline. To be blunt, it was simply a mix of stories and interviews from a group of men who sing in a choir together and then get on a bus to go sing in Murmansk.

"Cool and Crazy" does a good job at portraying the normal, daily lives of the men in the choir and showing how some of the little things in life can be important too. That being said, it is certainly not a very gripping film. It really does show the daily lives of a number of men, and from my point of view, these men don't have extremely exciting lives. It's not something I would enjoy watching for an extended period of time. While it may be interesting to some people and have important cultural value to some people, I did not find it entertaining, gripping, or educational.

Endearing and Humorous

[buenneke-942-211299 · 8/10 · 28 April 2014]

Cool and Crazy is a heartwarming documentary that follows the lives, thoughts and conversations of the men in a small-town Norwegian choir. The film is characterized by its firm position in the normal and everyday, as well as by an intense focus on the concept of contrast.

In the first part of the documentary, we are introduced to several of the members of the choir, and the setting in which they live. Through imagery that details the capture, cleaning, and processing of fish, it becomes clear that these men live in a small fishing village in Northern Norway, and that many of them earn(ed) their living as fishermen. Cool and Crazy makes no attempt to romanticize these jobs, and gives a realistic portrayal of the nitty gritty aspects of it through imagery of bloody fish heads and fish being processed through the machines. In fact, there is a significant and noticeable attempt in this film to portray everyday actions and conversations in a very realistic and normal way. This is done through conducting interviews in odd places, such as during a bath. This makes us feel like the interview wasn't staged, and we just happened to catch him doing his routine activities. In addition, the topics of conversation are generally nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, they aren't all necessarily even organized around a common theme, sometimes they are just about topics that the interviewee had on his mind at the time, and many of them are just normal conversations that were caught on tape. Although these conversations and topics are often interesting, they involve nothing extraordinary—and to that end, nothing extraordinary happens in the film either. There is no huge, built-up, exciting climax—the closest thing to a climax is the choir's performance in Russia, but even this is just portrayed as another day in the life (although an exciting one). While this technique doesn't make for an exciting and action-filled movie, it is absolutely successful in other ways. The viewer gains respect for these down-to-earth men, who try to be nothing more than they already are.

Another important aspect of the film is the enormous contrasts that are portrayed. In particular, there is a huge contrast between the songs and the setting, in several ways. Firstly, the tone of the songs is jolly and bright, filled with hope and joy. However, the opening scene finds the men performing on the rocky ocean coast, in biting snowy and windy conditions. The men are bundled up in thick coats with red, wind-chapped cheeks, and snow in their beards. Yet not one shiver is shown, and they seem perfectly content performing in these conditions. The next song is performed in the pack house, amid the imagery that was mentioned earlier, of the fish being cleaned and processed. The jolly music, which speaks of the beautiful fish-packing 'ladies' and 'lasses', cuts through the bleak and grim imagery in an interesting way. The contrast between these lower-class fishing and packing jobs, with membership in a distinguished choir—a classy hobby—is ironic and impactful. Another interesting contrasted concept is the lack of religiosity among the choir members—especially seen in the director's comments about being formerly atheistic (and currently agnostic). Yet many of the songs focus on Christian themes of faith.

Contrast is also portrayed in the wide variety of ages in the choir. While the youngest member seems to be in his thirties or forties, the oldest member is ninety-five. Many comparisons are made between the young and old members, and it is emphasized that it is the younger members' duty to take care of the oldest members—and they do a good job. Finally, when the choir takes a trip to Russia for their concert, the contrast between Norway and Russia is very clear—and a long, heated discussion is devoted to emphasizing this fact.

Cool and Crazy is a film that is compelling because of the characters. The men in the choir are endearing, and often funny without knowing that they are. The humor aspect is also due to the striking contrasts. For example, the tone of the songs is humorous when they are filmed in the locations they are.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I would recommend it to most. I would give it an 8/10.

What You See is What You Get

[gretemiller · 4/10 · 23 April 2012]

Who doesn't like a movie that exposes the exotic lives of those living in northern Norway? Cool and Crazy delves into the culture of the folk from Finnmark in northern Scandinavia. The film follows the journey and history of the men in a church Choir in Finnmark. They are witty and very blunt. The men are lighthearted about life, love, and singing. This film is interesting in many aspects, but specifically the characters, filming techniques and the organization of the film.

The film starts out with the choir and then proceeds to enter the first interview. The character is an old man, like most of the men in the movie, and he talks about his love life and women. Next, he talks about his history with the choir. This is a common theme with the interviews that were documented in this film. In between the interviews were performances by the choir in outdoor, often remote, areas. They sang on the coast in all sorts of weather from blowing wind and ice in the dead of winter to the warm glow of the midnight sun peaking over the ocean. The songs they sang were mainly about life and seemed to match the seasons. For example, they sang of hardship and the longing for spring during the dark winder months, while they rejoiced for the renewal that spring brought for the land and their own spirits. This film also followed the choir to a concert they had in Mermansk, Russia. They mostly bantered about politics and how the land was in such bad shape during the bus-ride. They were appalled and disgusted at the destruction Russia had afflicted to the environment. This film shows how content these men are with the lives they live in Finnmark. Although it is a remote location and the weather is harsh, they still see a reason to stay. Their dedication to their homeland shows how much home means to them. They take pride in the fact that they are from Finnmark.

There are many characters in this movie. Of the men that were interviewed, a few stuck out to me. Firstly was the primary interviewee. His wife (even though they were never officially married, they lived together for 40 years) was dead, he had lived in Finnmark his whole life, and he had been singing in the choir for 60+ years. So, let's first address the culture differences. People in Norway aren't necessarily in a huge hurry to go to the alter. It is very normal for them to live together and even have kids together without being married. For some reason, it seemed like there were many widowed men in this chorus. Do men live longer in Norway than women? In the US, I have observed more widows than widowers. This is strictly a personal observation, but I thought it interesting. The second subject that stuck out to me was the younger man with two kids. He was the odd one out. He really exhibited a strong camaraderie with the older folk in the choir. And lastly, I took a special interest in the 90-year old man who still drove a car in the snow. He was so classic and traditional. It seemed like he had a routine for everything. This choir spanned across multiple generations and the film explored that.

This documentary is very raw and basic because of the home-video quality of the interviews. Some newer documentaries are still very "Hollywood" and use all sorts of filters. This film doesn't, and it shows. The camera was hand-held, there was little artificial light(except shooting the choir singing at night), it was not staged, and all of the filming was shot in a very natural setting, which reminds me of the Dogma 95 movement. Bottom line, this movie was as real-life as you can get. The setting was held in multiple seasons, which captured the isolated frozenness of the arctic winter and the crisp summers under the arctic sun. Working in shots of the midnight sun during the summer season also very realistically portrayed the contrast.

The organization of this film was very confusing. I wonder if there is even a plot to this film. I think it was challenging to catch a lot of the significance of this movie by watching it with subtitles. I understand the interview-song-interview-song pattern, but I was many times lost as to the significance of the movie as a whole. It did not keep my attention and I didn't find it very funny. I think that they did the best they could with this movie and I think the structure is very creative, the songs were too long to focus on for long, and the interviews were dragging and somewhat boring. I think the subject is a tough one to make into a super entertaining and engaging film.

Honestly, I thought the fact that the 90-year old man was still driving in the winter and the younger man's story the most engaging parts of the film. Cool and Crazy is not for everyone and was not for me. Unless you are into desolate places and old men, you might not appreciate this film. Although, seeing the village and landscape of Finnmark through such a realistic lens is fascinating. That fascination is dulled, however, as the film progresses and that landscape is all you see. Although Cool and Crazy is very slow moving and may not appeal to some, what you see is what you get. The title of this film captures the climate and overall dull feel of the film, while exposing the craziness of the men's characters. Although I would not recommend this film nor enjoyed watching it, there were some interesting aspects achieved.