Summary
A gripping psychological drama that teeters between tension and surrealism, anchored by powerful performances.
If ever there was a movie that could be described as a film of two halves, this is certainly a leading contender. Filmmaker Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel comes out of the gate strong with a debut that has already won him the Camera d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s not surprising when filmmaking runs in your blood—Tøndel is the grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman.
Tøndel’s script immediately catches us off guard, deliberately keeping the reason Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve) has been summoned to her son Armand’s school on short notice a mystery. It has something to do with an act committed against a fellow 6-year-old classmate, Jon, the child of Sarah (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and Anders (Endre Hellestveit).
As the nature of the accusation unfolds, the relationships between the parents become apparent as well. Well-meaning teacher Sunna (Thea Lambrechts Vaulen) flails in the face of manipulative emotions and gossip, and it’s entirely possible there’s an entirely separate conversation happening beneath the surface.
The first half of ARMAND works so well as a self-contained tension bubble, partly because of how little Tøndel wants us to know. It’s a psychological drama filled with pointed blame, sneering looks, and sniping remarks. Here, it sits somewhere between Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and the more recent Radu Jude film Bad Luck Banging in terms of social satire.
Once the first few facets are on the table, Tøndel’s film becomes something else entirely. Amidst the whispers that begin to fill the hallways of the school, we see Elisabeth’s mind unfurl. A scene in which she dances in the corridors may seem incongruous, but perhaps not as much as the moment where a dozen hands accusingly grope Elisabeth in a movement straight out of Dario Argento.
Yet, despite some stylistic departures that suggest interiority, it is unsurprisingly held together by Reinsve’s singular performance. There’s one scene in particular where she slowly builds from fits of giggles to full-on hysterical laughter and ultimately anguished tears that is as uncomfortable as it is captivating.
Petersen is equally fierce. A single glare from her in Elisabeth’s direction could cut through the fabric of the film itself. Hellestveit plays it close to the chest but has some stellar quiet moments opposite Reinsve.
For all of its impressive style, ARMAND is ultimately a familiar affair. Yet as a showcase for the three central performances, there’s plenty to keep audiences engaged. Let’s look forward to wherever Tøndel goes next.
2024 | Norway | DIRECTOR: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel | WRITERS: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel | CAST: Renate Reinsve, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Thea Lambrechts Vaulen, Endre Hellestveit, Øystein Røger, Vera Veljovic | DISTRIBUTOR: Melbourne International Film Festival | RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 8-24 August 2024 (Melbourne International Film Festival)
