Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Norwegian Dream is a romantic drama about Robert (Hubert Milkowski), a Polish immigrant working in a Norwegian fish factory. While he’s at lunch, he sees a fellow co-worker, Ivar (Karl Bekele Steinland), dancing during break. The other workers make fun of Ivar, but Robert is intrigued. Not only is Ivar unafraid to be himself, but he’s also the son of the factory owner. For Robert, a poor, closeted gay man, it’s a life he could only dream of having.
As Robert gradually becomes friends with Ivar, trouble begins boiling over when the workers decide to unionize. On top of that, Robert starts to get upsetting calls from his mother, Maria (Edyta Torhan), about her financial woes. Soon he’ll have to make hard choices that will alter the rest of his life.
Some Thoughts:
Norwegian Dream is an interesting mix of class struggle, homophobia, and relationships. Despite being a romance, the film strives for realism, which is refreshing. The dwellings where the factory workers live are run down and cramped and the way they’re treated by the company feels true to life. There’s also an unspoken homophobia that’s pervasive throughout the film, which keeps Robert in the closet.
Milkowski and Steinland have enough chemistry to make the movie work. Both actors give a sense of their characters’ struggles, which draws the viewer into the story and gives them something to root for. It plays like an against-all-odds romance.
Robert’s relationship with his mother also adds another layer to the movie. Her story fits in very well with that of the factory workers’ while giving Robert something to fret over. This was also the most interesting aspect of the film. In fact, the movie would have been stronger if it centered on the Robert/Maria story rather than Robert/Ivar.
The Final Verdict:
Norwegian Dream is a romantic drama that gives the viewer more to chew on than the average romance.