I travel alone - DVD

Film: Literature student Jarle (Rolf Christian Larsen) is astonished when one day he receives a letter saying he is the father of an almost seven-year-old girl. And now he of all people, who loves to spend his time with parties, his buddies or casual affairs, is supposed to take care of little Charlotte Isabel (Amina Eleonora Bergrem), called Lotte, for a week. To make matters worse, the girl's 7th birthday falls during this period. But not only Jarle, also little Lotte is not very enthusiastic about a forced visit to her completely unknown daddy. But after initial problems and quarrels Jarle begins to feel quite comfortable in his unwanted father role and little Lotte really grows on him. But the family harmony threatens to be short-lived...

I travel alone sounds at first glance like a Norwegian version of Til Schweiger's hit movie Kokowääh. In fact, the parallels in the story are unmistakable. And yet the films could not be more different. Stian Kristiansen also relies on humor and some somewhat overused clichés. But he approaches the matter much more subtly than his German colleague and thus achieves a greater closeness to reality and much more charm. When Jarle and Lotte meet for the first time, for example, there aren't any cheeky-cool dialogues like "Who are you? - Well, Paris Hilton's sister! Lotte is much more reserved and thus more endearing.

But it probably wouldn't do either film justice if one were to limit one's evaluation to comparisons alone. Kokowääh ultimately appealed to the tastes of a wide audience and played its way into the hearts of viewers. Sure, the parallels between the two films are unmistakable and that's where comparisons need to start first. But in the end, I Travel Alone doesn't necessarily appeal to the audience that rushed into theaters for Kokowääh - which is a shame. Because the charming comedy would have deserved to be able to mobilize a broad audience for itself as well.

But for that, apart from a few moments, the humor is probably too restrained, the main character too chaotic and the story too little fairy tale. But that's exactly what makes the film so appealing. Often the wit, as well as the emotionality of the story, comes from being able to relate to the situations as an audience member. And underneath his somewhat crude surface, Jarle, played by Rolf Kristian Larsen, known from the first two installments of the Cold Prey series, is a really nice guy.

I Travel Alone is, on balance, a very nice little comedy with a lot of Nordic charm, an adorable child actress and likeable characters. Although the story is not really original and some moments correspond a bit too much to the usual clichés, in the end the viewer is left with a smile, a pleasant feeling and also a bit of sadness. And that's what makes a nice movie. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The picture of the DVD seems a little washed out, especially at the beginning. Even if this impression soon improves, the overall sharpness, which is decent in itself, could definitely be a little better overall. On the positive side, however, the warm colour scheme is in keeping with the charming atmosphere of the story. The audio is dominated by the dialogue and the music, both of which are well-matched. Genre-wise, the whole thing is rather unspectacular, but absolutely fine for its purposes. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, there is only the trailer and other program tips from the provider.

Conclusion: I travel alone is an endearing little comedy that can charm with likeable actors and a charming story. With a slightly quirky Nordic flair, director Stian Kristiansen easily manages to keep viewers thoroughly entertained and comfort them over the story's lack of originality. Therefore, this DVD also represents a clear buy recommendation for all lovers of likeable arthouse comedies, even if the DVD is technically not at the absolute height and also has no extras worth mentioning to offer

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp