‘Armand’ Filmmaker Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Star Renate Reinsve On Their Bold New Film, Norway’s Oscar Entry [VIDEO]

One of the year’s most boundary-pushing cinematic works, Norwegian writer-director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel first feature, Armand, dares to mess with the way we’re used to watching a certain type of dramatic film, while questioning expected human behavior in said film. It’s an ambitious endeavor that has polarized critics. Some aren’t pleased with having their comfort levels challenged. For those craving something bold, unique and thought-provoking, it’s a must-see. Armand is Norway’s Academy Award submission for Best International Feature.

Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve) is a widowed single mom whose acting career has been paused—why exactly we are not specifically told–but it could have to do with the recent death of her husband. She is summoned to the school her 6-year-old boy attends but is given very little detail about why. Upon arrival she is greeted by his very nervous teacher as well as the parents of another boy, who are obviously upset about something. We soon learn an incident has taken place where Elisabeth’s son, Armand, has been accused of doing and saying some potentially disturbing and traumatic things to his young classmate and friend. We are also clued in to the fact that the boys are cousins. An image conscious headmaster and a nose-bleeding counselor soon join the group mostly to try and yield responsibility. More is slowly revealed as the enigmatic narrative becomes simultaneously clearer and more ambiguous.

Tøndel’s bracing style is to place his character’s in an uncomfortable claustrophobic setting forcing honest reactions, while his audience act as peeping toms. And after a first half that acts as intense character study, the writer-director begins to pepper his film with semi-surrealistic touches that involve dance and movement. One, in particular, was reminiscent of the harrowing movie premiere scene at the end of John Schlesinger’s 1975 classic The Day of the Locust. Each of these sequences helps us understand the inner world of the main character a bit more. Or do they?

In one unforgettable scene, after being forced to listen to a ridiculous set of guidelines put forth by the administration for her and Armand, Elisabeth bursts into non-stop laughter and it goes on. And on. She cannot or will not stop. Tøndel allows it to continue way beyond the comfort level of his characters, and his audience. It’s her primal scream raging at all the bullshit she’s forced to endure.

The gifted Reinsve does astonishing work in Armand as a woman who may be performing to get what she wants or may be trying to understand what is happening around her or may simply be trying to protect her son. Or all three. It’s a performance that should be in the very crowded Best Actress awards conversation.

Tøndel studied directing at Westerdals School of Art and has made several award-winning short films that have screened at festivals throughout the world. Armand, his debut feature, premiered in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and won the Caméra d’Or prize. The film was just awarded the European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI at the European Film Awards.

He is the grandson of Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann.

Norwegian born Reinsve had quite the auspicious lead film debut as Julie in the critically-acclaimed Joaquim Trier film, The Worst Person in the World, which won her the Best Actress Award at Cannes in 2021 and was later nominated for two Oscars including Best International Feature, and two BAFTAs including Best Female Lead.

This year she’s had two other well-received movies open, Thea Hvistendahl’s haunting Handling the Dead and Aaron Shimberg’s stunner, A Different Man, which just won the Gotham Award for Best Feature.

On TV she is currently starring in the Apple+ thriller, Presumed Innocent, with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Coming up is Piero Messina’s Another End, opposite Gael Garcia Bernal, and the new Joachim Trier film, Sentimental Value.

Norway has never won the Oscar for International Feature despite being nominated 6 times. The last nomination was 2021 for Trier’s The Worst Person in the World. This is the country’s 46th submission.

Armand had an Oscar qualifying run this year and will be released by IFC Films in February 2025.

The Contending had the pleasure of a zoom-chat with both filmmaker and lead.