Having first seen the film ages ago in 1999, I was quite impressed. I wanted to find a review of it but I couldn't (Its not called Schpaaa here), when I eventually found this site, I was quite dissapointed to see that there was a 5.7/10 rating. I thought, well you know, mabe it wasnt that great. But then I saw it again last night on SBS, and I was still impressed by it.
I think why this is rated so lowly is that the plot is highly unbelievable, Im no expert on Norway, but i'm sure Oslo does not have street kids that are involved with the Yugoslavian Mafia and deliver drugs and beat men up. But if it isn't real, the director has as sure as hell made it look real. He films the graffitied, dark forbidding parts of Oslo making the place seem bleak and inhabitable. The whole landscape is that of grey cement and heav y urbanization, it is certainly the dark side to the otherwise beautiful Norwegian city. The lives of these kids (the youngest being 11) are harsh and damaged, they commit crimes by the dozen are are rebels from mainstream Norwegian society. I think if this had been set in New York or London, it would be alot more believable than in Oslo.
What keeps this film going is the unlikely friendship forged between Jonas and Emir. Emir is the strongest of the "Bunch of Five" but he is constantly bullied by all the others except Jonas, who tries to prevent the ridicule. Emir -who has brain damage from a beating his father administered to him when he was young- frequently attacks Jonas with a knife or by strangling him, but yet the two remarkably still stay friends. Emir is stupid, but we see him constantly wishing for a better life which he knows he will never obtain. The last excruciating scenes are very violent, Emir is betrayed by the other boys and is beaten to a pulp (literally) but their friendship prevails and Jonas comes to his rescue.
I think my view of Schpaaa might be a little bias, considering I was these kids age only 4 years ago, so I can relate to them much better than any adult can.
If you like Ken Loach films or liked Bully or Kids, id reccomend this film to you.
Im giving this 7.5/10, but ill vote a 10 for it to bring its undeservedly low average up. A fine film, though if you ask me again about it when i am a 30 year old man in a boring job, I will probably say its crap. I would have lost the ability to enjoy this controversial teenage Norwegian hit by that time.
I think why this is rated so lowly is that the plot is highly unbelievable, Im no expert on Norway, but i'm sure Oslo does not have street kids that are involved with the Yugoslavian Mafia and deliver drugs and beat men up. But if it isn't real, the director has as sure as hell made it look real. He films the graffitied, dark forbidding parts of Oslo making the place seem bleak and inhabitable. The whole landscape is that of grey cement and heav y urbanization, it is certainly the dark side to the otherwise beautiful Norwegian city. The lives of these kids (the youngest being 11) are harsh and damaged, they commit crimes by the dozen are are rebels from mainstream Norwegian society. I think if this had been set in New York or London, it would be alot more believable than in Oslo.
What keeps this film going is the unlikely friendship forged between Jonas and Emir. Emir is the strongest of the "Bunch of Five" but he is constantly bullied by all the others except Jonas, who tries to prevent the ridicule. Emir -who has brain damage from a beating his father administered to him when he was young- frequently attacks Jonas with a knife or by strangling him, but yet the two remarkably still stay friends. Emir is stupid, but we see him constantly wishing for a better life which he knows he will never obtain. The last excruciating scenes are very violent, Emir is betrayed by the other boys and is beaten to a pulp (literally) but their friendship prevails and Jonas comes to his rescue.
I think my view of Schpaaa might be a little bias, considering I was these kids age only 4 years ago, so I can relate to them much better than any adult can.
If you like Ken Loach films or liked Bully or Kids, id reccomend this film to you.
Im giving this 7.5/10, but ill vote a 10 for it to bring its undeservedly low average up. A fine film, though if you ask me again about it when i am a 30 year old man in a boring job, I will probably say its crap. I would have lost the ability to enjoy this controversial teenage Norwegian hit by that time.