The setting of Arven, a Norwegian film directed by Anja Breien, might not be very original; rich familly member dies and old quarrels and difficulties come back to haunt the rest of the family. But Arven turned out to be a good movie, even a funny one, granted you are not a stranger to black humor. Kai Skaug was a successful owner of a shipping company. He leaves a big inheritance for his family to fight over. This does not sound like a very nice story, but Breien creates a full-blown neurotic family tragedy about greediness and contempt, against the background of a very subdued Schubert piece. Anita Björk as the resentful matron Märta is simply magnificent. So are the rest of the actors. Breien has a good ear for pitch; how people talk, how people keep silent.
Arven revolves around small-mindedness and petty secrets. But it is also a film about stuff. Skaug Sr. lived in a house that was almost a chateau. His relatives quarrel about his belongings. Breien ironically focuses on furniture, bric-a-brac, carpets, art - to introduce us to the tensions within a family. In one priceless scene, we see two women fight over an ugly pillow. They both grasp the pillow, exclaiming, "It is mine!" It is almost as if these things (and, god, the money!) consitute the only reason why family members communicate with each other at all.
What makes Arven such a delightful movie is the close attention it pays to facial expressions. The story is not limited to the dialogue; it is inscribed in the character's faces; grumpy, alarmed, aloof, worried, haggard.
You can watch the film here.
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