Sønner (2006)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Erik Richter Strand

Writers:

Erik Richter Strand (co-writer)
Thomas Torjussen (writer)

Release Date:

15 September 2006 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Trouble starts when Lars, a 25-year-old with few prospects for the future, discovers that an older man...

Plot Keywords:

Child Porn | Female Nudity | Shower Scene | Pedophilia | Female Full Frontal Nudity

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Anna Bache-Wiig	...	Heidi
Ronnie Baraldsnes	...	Nyhetsanker
Ingrid Bolsø Berdal	...	Norunn
Christin Borge	...	Dame i svømmehallen
Terje Brevik	...	Prostitute's client
Marika Enstad	...	Anja
Henrik Fjelldal	...	Roar
Ane Hoel	...	Studio expert
Lars Erik Holter	...	Man in Asker
Nils Jørgen Kaalstad	...	Lars
Jeppe Laursen	...	Prostitute's client
Henrik Mestad	...	Hans
Fredrik Norrman	...	Torgeir
Joachim Rafaelsen	...	Joakim
Edward Schultheiss	...	Jørgen
Mikkel Bratt Silset	...	Tim

Also Known As:

Sons (International: English title)
Hijos (Spain) [es]
Söner (Sweden) [sv]
Sønner - Dunkle Geheimnisse (Germany) (DVD box title) [de]
Sønner - Hijos (Argentina) (cable TV title) [es]

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Norway:11 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Oslo, Norway

Company:

Tordenfilm AS

A thoughtful examination of a disturbing topic

Our first glimpse of the main character, Lars, who works at a public swimming pool during the day and robs the departing customers of his prostitute neighbor (with her consent) by night, gives us the impression that he is just an amoral slacker.

But we soon learn a possible reason for his cynicism and usually flat affect when he spots a man at the swimming pool and is certain that the man is the one who sexually abused him when he was a child. He notes that the pedophile appears to be in the process of luring another boy into sexual abuse. Lars tried to warn the potential victim, but the boy is lonely and neglected and actually welcomes the man's attentions, which have not yet gone beyond friendliness.

When the authorities can't or won't do anything about the lurking pedophile, Lars and his friends decide to take vigilante action against him and any other pedophiles they hear about. Things quickly get out of hand...

What gives this film its depth is the complex characterizations. One sometimes wonders how pedophiles can not only attract children but keep them in their clutches over long periods of time. This film tries to answer that question. The pedophile here is no cartoon monster, but a slight, soft-spoken, well-groomed man who looks perfectly respectable and acts perfectly respectable in public. He rationalizes his actions by telling himself and others that he's the only one who "loves" the boys, and the victims, in turn, are so desperate for attention and approval that they put up with his molestation. You end up both feeling repulsed by the pedophile and understanding a bit more about his mindset.

I won't give away the ending, which includes a extremely clever example of letting the audience know what is happening without showing it directly, and a sadly unforgettable last line.