Upperdog (2009)

• Year: 2009
• Released: 28 Aug 2009
• Country: Norway
• Adwords: 10 wins & 9 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489263/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/upperdog
• Metacritics:
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: Norwegian, English, Polish
• MPA Rating: N/A
• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• Runtime: 100 min
• Writer: Sara Johnsen
• Director: Sara Johnsen
• Cast: Hermann Sabado, Agnieszka Grochowska, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen
• Keywords: class society, love, soldier, adopted, woman director, war trauma,

6.5/10

Upperdog Storyline

As young children, half-siblings Axel and Yanne are adopted to Norway. They are separated on arrival, he to material wealth on Oslo’s west side, she to an average family on the east side. In contrast to her younger brother, Yanne remembers their journey to Norway, but she has no idea where he might be now. All this is about to change, however, as Yanne’s Polish friend Maria starts working as a maid for Axel’s parents, there discovering a photograph of a young boy. Maria has seen the same picture on the wall of Yanne’s flat. She decides to reunite them. But before having time to realize the consequences, she sets in motion a chain of events which throws many people into emotional turmoil.—Warsaw Film Festival

Upperdog Photos

Upperdog Torrents Download

Upperdog Subtitles Download

Upperdog Movie Reviews

Excellent subtle movie about real people

I would say that this is one of the best movies ever made in Norway, if not THE best movie. I will lay that on the wonderful acting and casting, the details and subtle direction that makes a real movie with real people. You don’t ever feel like you’re being told what’s happening, because you can feel it. The emotions and the causes of them are played out before your eyes and you know why all the time.

This is not a sad movie, although the people are pretty sad, and it’s not a happy movie. It’s a movie that speaks to your heart. I was sitting in a small movie theatre and the seventeen year old girls sitting in front of me couldn’t be more bored. And I understand why. They couldn’t relate to the people on the screen, who had experienced life, although they were pretty young themselves. But a seventeen year old girl doesn’t know what it’s like to experience real love and loss, or real betrayal. The rest of us couldn’t have been more into the movie. This is what real love looks like. How real people act and react.

I don’t want to front any of the actors, because they were all perfect. The director, Sara Johnsen, is a shining star and she really knows how to work with the actors, that really shows. But the most impressing thing is her careful eye for the story and how to tell it without over telling.

I am truly amazed and I truly loved this movie. See this with someone and you will have much to talk about afterwards.

Nice but weak

I had great expectations for this film since it was according to my Norwegian friend “The best film of the year in Norway”.

I was disappointed. It felt like a school film for me. It had a lot of nice scenes in it, but I felt that the classical chaos theory of everyone involving everyone just didn’t work in this film. The film is a Norwegian version of Babel or Short Cuts. However this one is a bit too lame to even compare with those to film landmarks.

I had a big problem of relating to any of the characters. My only sympathies went to the soldier character who had a slight problem with event that occurred in Afganistan? He had a tragic tale and somewhat interesting storyline. But otherwise the whole movie was just classical: I’m looking out the window because I’m sad and life is odd and difficult drama.

The film was nicely directed, filmed and acted, but there is really no story. And it doesn’t hold together. The only points come the tale of the soldier and what happened in his storyline. You could actually make a good feature film out of that story.

If you like artsy people being lost in their lives and looking out the window, this is your film.

Upstairs, downstairs

Two siblings from Thailand are adopted by different families. They lose contact. One of them forgets completely and one tries to. But a Polish maid functions as fate and they finally get together again. That’s not uncomplicated.

The same goes for all adoptions, especially when the children come from another culture. Of course the feelings between the new parents and the children don’t differ from common parents-children relations, but there ought to be thoughts. What would have become of them if they weren’t brought to the new country? Some of these questions are put here, but more intriguing is the drama that takes place for other reasons with a Norwegian Afghanistan veteran involved. Clever handicraft, which doesn’t get under your skin.