97. The Middle Man; movie review
THE MIDDLE MAN
Cert 15
95 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language
This must be quirky movie season because we have watched a veritable avalanche of them over recent weeks.
The latest up is Bent Hamer's The Middle Man, a strange but ingriguing tale set in a small, depressed American town, plagued by accidents.
Pål Sverre Hagen plays Frank, a deadpan, unemployed bachelor who, after a very awkward interview, is given the job of telling people bad news on behalf of the authorities.
His boss is an unempathetic, work-shy sheriff (Paul Gross) who consistently gives him a hard time.
Frank, expertly portrayed by Hagen in accentless English, is one of the stranger characters we will see at the cinema in 2023.
He lives at home, dependant on his widowed mother (Nina Andresen Borud) but gains sudden self-importance from his unexpected employment.
Indeed, with a neat black suit, smartly clipped hair and quiet tones, he seems perfect for the job.
The problem is that, because it is such a small town, some of the bad news is inevitably imparted on people he knows.
Hamer then takes the film into unexpected directions with a romance and confrontation for Frank leading to a surprising denouement.
The Middle Man is not conventional funny so there were no belly laughs for either Mrs W or me but we liked its darkness and weirdness.
And I agree with the press blurb that claims echoes of the Coen brothers.
Reasons to watch: Quirky and dark
Reasons to avoid: Will be too offbeat for some
Laughs: Smiles rather than laughs
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10
Did you know? Pål Sverre Hagen is a Norwegian stage and screen actor. He is best known internationally for playing Thor Heyerdahl in the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated film Kon-Tiki.
The final word. "When I first read the novel, I was attracted by this view of the world, where people are struggling, which is true today all over but here it gave a perspective seen from a small town in the US in the rust belt, kind of pre-Trump as it was written in 2012. It is so up-to-date, in a way." Cineuropa
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