Oops!
She started coming around more often.
At nights, just before I was going to bed.
- She told me how much she loved... - Silence.
- She went on and on about... - The wonderful silence,
that can be shared by two people.
Can you hear it?
The silence?
She just sat there.
Talking endlessly,
about the sensitivity a human being is capable of showing another.
- Harmony! - She talked about harmony.
But she was talking so fast.
- Balance. - I rarely dared to ask "Pardon?"
I just nodded, pretending to listen.
''That's right,'' I said.
''Yes, of course.''
She started coming more often.
- After one of her talks about... - Silence.
...she started talking about her father.
- Our relationship was never good. - She had a lot to say about him.
I must have fallen asleep.
But woke up in time for a significant childhood memory.
Finally I had a response. That's the worst thing I've heard!
- What? - You must confront him.
You're a grown woman. Confront him. He's your father!
I think you should contact him immediately. Tomorrow.
What are you waiting for?
I had involved myself.
In her life.
GONE WITH THE WOMAN
Hi.
- Were you waiting for me? - Romantic, isn't it?
Come, let's go see a film.
But...
We saw a film.
It was terrible.
Especially the ending. I cried and wanted to go home.
You have no idea how happy that film made me!
- Happy? - Yes. Especially the ending.
- He jumped off a mountain. - He grew wings and flew!
You didn't see him plunging to his death?
No. He flew to the skies to thank humankind for his life.
- Listen, we saw him fall. - At first, yes. But then he ascended.
How do you know?
I just know it.
Come.
Come on!
I started going to the public bath. It seemed the only sensible thing.
I got a 12 month membership.
A nice card made of white plastic.
With my name on it.
- You're new here, right? - Yes.
Glenn.
Come on!
When you have problems, you solve them in the water.
Tell me about yours.
- She just started coming by. - Is she pretty?
Quite.
Nothing wrong with your head?
It has never been her and me.
You want to get rid of someone you never had...?
Then you have to do two things: One: Buy goggles.
You'll avoid getting your eyes red. I know some good brands...
- And the other thing? - The other?
- The other thing I had to do? - Sleep with her.
No...!
Then you'll find out if she's worth it.
Marianne was almost always there when I got home.
- Great you came! - Marianne...
- I think... - Your eyes are red.
- Yes, that's right. - You know what? You need goggles.
- Yes, I do... - I'll help you!
- There's no need. - I want you to have the very best!
Come on, then.
Hey... Put on your goggles.
What?
Put on your goggles.
Now?
- They will make you look hot. - Cut it out.
They turn me on.
- Keep them on! - I do have them on!
I know it might seem a bit weird...
But you are important to me.
- Choose a hand. - That one.
The other one?
- For me? - Yes. Open it.
But... I had never done anything for her.
Don't think like that. I'm happy with you in every way.
It occurred to me that I may be an amateur when it comes to love.
I decided to fall head over heels in love with her.
I would start first thing in the morning.
We're here!
She moved in the next day. With 1 2 boxes and a yellow dresser.
Well...
...here he is!
I've heard so much about you!
We're going to hug sooner or later anyway, so...
Right... I have exactly what you need.
Take this.
- Wow, what a nice stone. - It's not a stone, it's a crystal.
What's it for?
Can you feel how it opens you up and stimulates your chakras?
- It's hard to tell... - Yes, very hard.
But let us know when you feel it.
- Hello. - Hello. Did you watch Love Island?
- No, I had guests. - He chose Stine.
- Not Emma? What a bloody... - Bloody idiot! See you.
AN ADEQUATE LIFE
Here you are.
I started out like you. Now I'm the deputy CEO.
Perhaps you also are a man of the future?
- Thank you. - You there! You have a phone call.
- Hello? - There you are, you bastard!
I'm Marianne's father, and I want you to listen!
Shut up! I'm speaking!
- I told him I could hear that. - She came here and said...
...she had met a man who understood her.
And never wanted to see me again! She threw my breakfast about!
My egg, ham,jam,juice... Then she flickered the lights.
Until the bulb exploded!
- It will be all right... - No! And if I ever see you,
I may very well punch you. In the face!
But this has nothing to do with m...
- Marianne? - Yes.
Your yellow dresser doesn't fit in here.
She didn't hear me, so I repeated it.
Your yellow dresser doesn't fit in here.
You don't think so? We'll get a bigger one, then.
It's not the size. It's the colour.
The colour is great. It's rather your walls that have the wrong colour.
I told her I was going to paint it.
I'm going to paint your dresser. She said no.
- You will do no such thing. - She asked me to paint my own stuff.
If you must paint something, can't you paint some of your own stuff?
Of course I can.
Nice pair of goggles you've got there.
- Are you rid of her yet? - On the contrary.
- She has moved in. - Are you in love?
I'm working on it. And I really was.
Oh, my God!
- It will soon be Christmas! - Christmas?
- Yes, soon. - Huh?
- With tons of decisions to make. - Like what?
Where do we spend the holidays? Together or apart? What will we eat?
I'm spending Christmas Eve with my parents.
I see.
I am not spending it with mine.
Christmas is a great time. I enjoy spending it with my folks.
Fine.
Hi, mum. It's me. Can I bring a friend for Christmas?
Great. Bye. It's okay with them, Marianne.
- You did that just to be nice. - No...
If that's the way it's going to be, I'd rather sit alone and watch TV.
Stop it.
If you think I'm a spoilt brat, just say so!
Shut up! I want you to come! I didn't do it just to be nice!
You're going to come and we will all have a good time!
Imagine... Our first Christmas together!
I bought her father an egg boiler. And had it sent to him.
FROM: MARIANNE
I felt partly responsible for her falling out with her father.
And Christmas did come.
My family of course thought Marianne was an absolutely lovely girl.
Oh, it's great!
And then New Year's...
What is your favourite part of being grown-up?
- Splitting an apple with my hands. - Can you really do that?
I'll show it to you sometime.
You're the best thing that has happened to me...
- ...in the last year. - In the last year?
Yeah...
My father!
It's the perfect occasion to make up with him.
As the new year begins.
Hi, dad.
Oh yeah, right... The gift.
Sure. The egg boiler...
I'm glad you liked it. Happy New Year to you too, dad.
Damn you...
Damn you!
- You went behind my back! - I was only trying to help.
I honestly didn't expect this from you!
I'm deeply hurt. I thought you were my best friend!
I thought I could trust you!
Your relationship with your father should not affect me.
I see no reason to spend the new year anywhere near you!
Bloody hell!
Mar...
Marianne!
I figured she would call and say she had been unreasonable.
Marianne did not call to say she had been unreasonable.
Fuck.
I'VE BEEN UNREASONABLE
I've been unreasonable...
It had taken her four days to realise that she had been unreasonable.
But now I'm here. Forgive me. Let's start over again.
You're so cute when you sleep. You look like you're in love.
Are you in love? With me?
- I don't know... - That means you are.
But... Are you in love with me?
I think so.
So is ''I don't know'' a stronger indication than ''I think so''?
It might be...
In that case, I am more in love with you than you are with me.
That makes me so happy.
...she said. And promised to fall as deeply in love as I had.
You're the best man we've had.
- But no one is indispensable. - No?
You've not done a poor job. But times are tough.
- I may be a man of the future? - Who knows? Things might pick up.
- Do you think so? - Absolutely. Perhaps tomorrow.
We give you three months' salary. It's not about the money.
Then what is it about?
Marianne!
- I got fired. - Great!
- Aren't you taking this a bit lightly? - Then we can go on holiday.
Yeah, but...
You're unemployed. I'm a student. And we have the money.
So are we going?
Travelling puts a strain on a new relationship.
- Don't say no to romance! - It's about building a relationship.
- She's given his empty life meaning. - This will test the relationship.
It's like throwing a new-born child to the wolves. No!
- Buy a sofa instead. - No, no! Not a sofa...
I can't.
Where have you been lately?
- Marianne... - Everything's taken care of.
- That sofa isn't so nice, is it? - Sure it is.
Let's be totally free. No mobile phones.
Look. Passports, money, train tickets...
How can you assume I want to travel by train? Without asking me?
- Don't you like trains? - I do, but that's not the point.
- We can fly, if you want. - No, I don't want to fly.
- I want to go by train! - Then what's the problem?
You like to travel by train, and I've bought train tickets.
I wanted to ask Marianne where this train was going.
Let's live in the present. And follow our intuitions!
- Do we follow your intuition or mine? - Who knows?
Maybe we will feel the same.
For a moment I catch myself in wanting to be like her.
As free-spirited as she is.
TRAIN TO EUROPE
- Are we there yet? - No.
- Do we get off here? - No!
- So where's this train going then? - To Paris!
- But everybody goes there. - Have you ever asked yourself why?
- No. - Then you can do it now!
- Let's get on another train. - Huh?
Can't you feel it? We're not wanted here.
I want to stay in Paris.
Marianne was determined to make Paris a mistake.
What a depressing room!
- I want to be alone a bit today. - You're not the only one!
Okay...
Go to a laundromat and do some washing.
I'll be here writing postcards.
Great plan.
- Your coffee, sir. - Thank you.
- Hello! - I'm not in the mood for making love.
- Why not? - I think it's Paris.
This city doesn't inspire love.
- I do. - This depends on many factors.
A range of moods and emotions have to click together.
- We're lucky they do sometimes then. - Yes, that is very lucky!
- Hey... - Yes?
Can't you feel how hostile Paris is making us?
Yes.
Suddenly I feel that we are so incredibly alone.
I've felt like that since we got here.
- Really? - Yes.
- I think we should move on. - Are you sure?
- I'm forcing you. - No. I don't want to be here anymore.
- I was just wondering... - What?
- Could you do me doggy style? - Of course, Marianne.
But we didn't go.
It doesn't matter if we go today or tomorrow.
Let's live in the present. Come!
I really like this painting.
I see myself in him. Chasing something big with something small.
You're so charmingly banal sometimes. That says a lot about you.
I want to buy it.
Go ahead. But don't expect me to carry it for you.
I never intended to ask you. Hello?
- She's French. Not English. - But surely...
Excuse me. How much is this painting?
The artist doesn't want his work to Ieave France. You're not French.
The artist doesn't want it to leave the country.
- I apologise. He just likes it a lot. - All right. I will try to call him.
- Let's get out of here! - No! I want that painting on my wall.
To remind me of a revelation I had while travelling.
- Malheureusement. - That means no.
- The artist doesn't speak English. - Huh?
I got the painting.
For a decent price, too.
This is a brand new side of you. And I really like it!
Then everything clicked again. I'm starting to see how it works.
It worked quite well for me too.
- Wake up! We're here! - What?
- This is it! - Where are we?
I don't know. We're wanted here. Someone is waiting for us.
No one is waiting for us here.
I was looking for an atmosphere, and I've found it here.
- So we follow yourintuition. - Indeed.
We couldn't wait for yours. We don't even know if you have one!
Come!
- Marianne, what are we up to here? - None of us knows!
- Probably not. - I still think we will continue.
And then came perhaps our most beautiful moment together.
Marianne, look!
Had I succeeded?
Was I head over heels in love?
Stay down.
Wait for me!
Don't go! Wait up!
Wait!
Bloody crap!
It turned out we had slept in a retired Swedish colonel's garden.
So... You're from Norway? Just call me Kalle.
Everybody calls me Kalle. Come this way.
We have visitors! From Norway.
- Hello. Mariann. - Hi. Marianne.
- Pardon? - Marianne.
Her name is Marianne!
What a coincidence!
It's nice to have someone to talk to. We don't often get visitors.
- But in the summer they all come... - Well, yes.
But less so since I remarried.
- So, you're out travelling? - Yes, we...
- Could you speak up, please? - He's hard of hearing.
- Pardon? - Your membrane!
Are you a hunter, son? Do you go hunting?
- No, I have never... - I used to shoot anything that moved.
Now I can't see a damn thing anymore. Unless it's at close range.
Eat, eat! Make yourselves at home. And stay as long as you like.
Thank you. You're very kind.
- Eat. Then we'll go for a swim. - Do you have a swimming pool?
Can you feel it now? This room has been waiting for us.
- Are you saying it expected us? - That's exactly what I'm saying.
- What a strange idea. But nice. - I believe this is our destination.
- Now I feel very left out. - What are you talking about?
It hurts me to be excluded just because I have no intuition.
If you don't stop this, I may very well leave you behind.
Well, I'm sorry. But I had a difficult night.
- I thought you slept. - Well, I didn't.
I woke up and cried for a long time.
I thought about my father, and how difficult it is to be adult.
- I understand. Let me comfort you. - No.
Too late. I needed it last night. Not now.
I should have understood her last night.
- Yes? - Would you like to go for a walk?
- No, we... - I'd love to!
After a swim, nothing is better than a strong drink.
We talk about Norway and Sweden. Common topics.
Sweden sucks. I'm never going back.
I simply cannot call him Kalle.
- A game of chess? - No.
Good.
Maybe I didn't say it loud enough.
I don't mind if you take your time.
But the opening move shouldn't be that difficult?
Do I start?
I move the pieces aimlessly. Without any strategy.
Without considering the colonel's moves.
Check.
- Oops. - Checkmate.
Oh well, I guess that means good night.
- Good night. - Good night.
Nitey-nite.
- Some wine, ladies? - Thank you.
- I'm going to bed, Marianne. - I'll be up soon.
- It's good. - Has a certain cheekiness.
They were drinking a cheeky wine.
She didn't come soon.
I decided to get up early the day after.
Not be there when she woke up.
I was going to make her wonder.
You're a lucky man. You have your whole life ahead of you.
So did you, once.
Yes, I did.
Once you start to understand life, you can't use it anymore.
- No? - It wasn't until recently
that I began to understand something about love.
Like what?
It makes me so damn angry.
Anyway...
Keep swimming, son. Keep swimming.
- We must... - I've decided
that I want to stay here for few more days.
Okay...
Should I stay too then, or...?
That's up to you.
How generous of you.
Are you hurt because I don't appreciate your intuition?
We have different ideas of our destination.
Would you rather we agreed on everything?
Oh dear...
- How long do you intend to stay? - Hard to say.
Mariann and I have become such good friends.
You don't exactly make me feel wanted. You should be careful.
New friends often make you reject old ones.
You are blowing this out of proportion.
I know best what I mean.
Nobody knows that better than you.
Perhaps it's better if I just go. Then she will miss me.
Okay, then. I'm off.
I left her. In order to win her back.
I'm surprised that I have left her.
I'm not sure whether it is brave
or just plain stupid.
Life just seems so difficult. And much too long.
Your coffee, sir.
Excuse me! Hello!
Could you help me, please?
Her name was Mirlinda.
Vous pouvez m'aider, s'il vous plaît?
We nod, agreeing.
We have a common enemy, and have bonded in just seconds.
Thank you.
She might get disappointed if I say yes.
Is she saying me this to stop me from making a move?
Then it doesn't matter, so I tell her about Marianne.
- Is that it? - No, no...
- Morue. - Morue?
- Now you: Torsk. - Tosk? (stupid)
- No, no... Torsk. - Torsk.
Torsk.
- Morue! - Tosk!
- What would you like? - A torsk, please.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
- Eat? - Let's go.
But you prepare it, ok?
That's me, in a nutshell.
Hello? Oh, it's you!
- How are you? - Good... And yourself?
Good.
- We'll see each other at home? - Yes, we will.
- When? - I'm not sure yet.
- Bye! - Bye.
I understand.
Now I had only one objective: Not being the first to arrive home.
"Hi, Marianne. I'm on my way home. Can't wait to see you. Intense kiss."
- Hello? - Where is my daughter?
She hasn't come home yet.
She dumped you? I bet you're used to that, you stupid fool!
- Did you say ''fool''? - No! I said "you stupid fool"!
You are a disturbing, evil person. It was me who bought the egg boiler!
I had been reduced to somebody who just waits.
Make sure your life is about you, not somebody else.
You're a great guy. But now I have to get to the racecourse!
See you later.
My God, how I've missed you!
- What's the matter? - Nothing, I'm just surprised.
I've missed you so much, I thought I'd lose my mind!
Suddenly I wanted to take my dull life to the next level.
When I closed my eyes, I saw strange images.
Too bad you're not black. I saw so many hot black men in Paris.
- I can't change that, I'm afraid. - And I don't blame you, but...
I can dream, can't I?
In the dark you can pretend that I'm black.
I'd better not. That would be a nasty habit.
- You know what torsk is in French? - Good night, darling.
A few months later Marianne graduated.
What is your title now? It turned out she was a teacher.
- And I've got a job. - That's great! Where?
On an island. Up north.
Excellent pay and all my favourite subjects.
- Are you going to commute? - No, it's much too far away.
You will have to visit me. We will walk on the beaches...
We will be lovers in a totally new way.
- Couldn't you find something closer? - But I want this.
I don't.
A relationship built on real love has nothing to fear.
- Like ours? - Precisely.
And off she went.
Proud Marianne, who knew what she wanted.
And who left for her island long before school started.
- I want a house with a sea view! - The sea is all over up there!
I want to see the sea when I'm having breakfast!
I went to see her the next weekend.
How fantastic!
I can't believe you're here!
Look! That's my house.
Come on in.
- Isn't it sweet? - Very nice.
Look at them. Aren't they cute?
- Your pupils? - I can't believe you're here! Come.
- Don't do that. - Lovers do these things.
- Are you in love with me? - Yes, I have been all along.
So are we doing okay, then?
If we just don't think so much, everything will be all right.
- Will it be okay? - What?
- Everything. - Sure it will.
So I made up my mind. I was going to make this a good solution.
She has moved to a remote island.
- A remote island? - It's just for a year.
We're going to be lovers in a totally new way.
Fair enough. It might work.
- What are you doing? - Telling her I miss her.
Postcards! You have to write postcards!
- Postcards? - Incredibly romantic.
"It's late, and I miss you. I'm sorry you are not here."
"My work mates are very nice. Autumn is in the air."
-"Yesterday we had a real storm." -"Here it was clam. Coming Friday."
"Okay. Have you found a job yet? You should. For your own good."
- You've worked here before? - Yes, I was the man of the future.
Right. I see you do maintenance work. You start tomorrow at 9 am.
I had a job again.
I visited her more than she visited me.
We had more time together out there. It was just her and me.
And a lot of fish.
Should we boil it or fry it? Boil or fry?
- Fry. - Okay...
Hello there...
No, not now. Good night.
Sleep well, then.
These things go up and down. I chose not to let it worry me.
Finally it was her turn to visit me.
"I'm afraid I can't make it after all. Theres's a party at work."
A teachers' party?
Weeks passed. I reminded her I existed.
"This weekend is not a good time either. We're having another party."
Hi!
How unexpected.
- Could you...? - Pull it. There.
Hello. This is Tor.
- Hello, Tor. - Hello.
- What are you doing out here, Tor? - I'm fiddling with eagles.
- Huh? - He's working with eagles.
There's a large stock of sea eagles here.
I'll be observing them for a while. Then write reports...
He has to stay here for a while to write his reports.
I send them off to the authorities. People there will read them.
Then the bureaucrats discuss things, and then decide...
Well, Tor. Could I possibly talk to Marianne alone?
- This is too silly. - Awkward yes, but not silly.
- You're not serious. - It's just the way it is.
- Don't you realise the implications? - I can't go around realising all day.
Things change. There's nothing I can do.
Don't take it personally.
It would be awful for us to part ways like this.
Bloody hell! You look terrible. Come drinking with us!
- No, I... - You need it!
You'll be all right. Let's go dancing.
PRICK
- Lollik! - What?
Lollik. Don't you remember?
Every time she opened her mouth, I thought she wanted to suck me.
- Maybe we can go see a film one day? - Why wait?
Can't we just go back to your place now?
Holy crap! You have incredibly bad taste.
I like that. That painting is simply awful.
All right...
- Are you hungry? - No. I only eat when I have to.
What if I forced you?
That sounds really sexy. Do you know what best part of eating is?
It feels so nice when you shit afterwards.
I like you. You demand so little of me.
Only what I can be bothered giving.
- Do you like boats? - Is that some Kama Sutra thing?
- I like a double sandwich. - No, I mean...boats.
- Boats? - Yes, on the sea.
Boat...
Holy shit! Boat is fantastic!
Marianne!
My God... This place is just so ugly.
Fight or fuck?
Hey... Come on, then!
- What's going on? - Come, Lollik. Marianne!
- Marianne! - Shut up!
- Hello, Marianne. - What are you doing?
- We're watching eagles. - Eagles? How fucking cool!
- Keep it down. - I don't see any.
- Exactly. - I just came to introduce...
- Show respect for the eagle! - Yeah...
I just wanted you to meet Lollik.
Lollik, this is Tor and Marianne.
I absolutely love eagles! I'd rather be an eagle than a woman!
- I refuse to believe you like her. - Well...
Lollik? I've never seen anyone so vulgar!
You surprise me. I've never seen her that way.
- Your accent is very sexy. - It's been said.
And you, are you in love with Tor?
I refuse to believe that you're in love with her.
Believe what you like!
So much for my plan. I had come to make her feel sorry.
That was done, and I didn't expect anything more to happen.
But it did.
Because life...it always goes on.
Good-bye, Lollik.
- We're leaving. - Shut up, you idiot!
- And you...! - I haven't seen any eagles yet.
- I want to stay longer. - Well, I don't.
There's a couple up there on the nest...
I never saw Lollik again.
- How are you actually doing? - Life...
Yes?
I honestly don't think life is worth living.
True. But on the other hand, it's hard to imagine what's worth living,
if it isn't, indeed life?
Go out and live.
You there... Look out!
I renewed my membership, and heard nothing from Marianne.
Months passed, and my life took on a new and better shape.
Bienvenue à l'école française.
- J'aime les pommes. - I love apples!
- Est-ce que vous aimez les pommes? - Oui, madame!
J'aime les pommes!
- Bonjour. Do you speak French? - Oui, madame!
Good I found you. I'm on your side.
- Marianne was totally out of line. - Marianne who?
Don't let it get to you. Stay calm. There's nothing you can do anyway.
Let yourself feel alive! Carpe diem!
Right?
- Je repasse ma chemise. - I'm ironing my shirt.
- J'aime les fleurs. - I love flowers.
- J'ai préparé une fête. - I've organized a little party.
Cheers, everybody!
To the champions!
That's a really nice painting.
That's me!
Trying to catch something too big with...
- ...something too small. - French is so beautiful!
''Monsieur Duval is at the bank. After 20 minutes, it's his turn.''
''Will you sleep with me tonight?''
- Do you like horse racing? - Horses have always fascinated me.
Cheers, my friends!
My life was more or less back on track.
Hi.
Hi... So it's you?
Who do you think it is?
Well... I'm a bit surprised.
You didn't want to come back to the city.
It's easy to be pompous when all is fine, but...
It's different when the going gets tough.
- And now it has? - Yep.
- May I come in? - Actually...
Sure.
- What about Tor? - Well, he...
- Too much eagle? - Yes.
An eagle man will eventually draw the shortest straw.
Yes.
She was back.
Is that right...
Oh well.
Hi.
I've been thinking.
And decided we should move back in together.
That doesn't immediately strike me as a great idea.
Don't worry too much about how it strikes you immediately.
- Do we have a deal? - I'll think about it.
We have so much to talk about!
She started coming more often. Like before. Just before bedtime.
There are events that only you and I can remember.
They signify the passing of time.
Our relationship is such a period of time. A period which is over.
You think too much! Your thoughts are restraining you.
The problem with you is that you don't listen.
- Of course I do. - It doesn't seem like it.
I'm listening. End of story.
- Marianne, I like you as a person. - You know I do too.
That doesn't mean we should live together.
- Another example of your cowardice. - Don't be silly.
But she was.
- This feels so good. - I think you should leave.
I want to make love to you. Right now.
We both came simultaneously.
We both agreed it was great.
Look at that... A little life.
If you look on the left...
- He's so small! - I think he looks a bit like you.
- Something wrong? - No, no.
Are you okay?
It doesn't matter who the father is. You can be as good a father as Tor.
Perhaps even better!
- You are way out of line. - What line?
You dreamt about this! You and me and a small baby.
Think about your mother. Imagine how happy she will be...
I've had enough.
But what are you doing?
"Dear Mirlinda. I am now certain that torsk is morue."
"Now I even know other fish, like pike and salmon."
"Greetings from your Norwegian friend."
Nice to see you!
- Take care. Have a nice trip. - See you guys later.
Taxi!
- "Torsk"? - Yes. Torsk.
<iHow wonderful, <ifinally some silence!