The school has called in a couple of parents to talk about their sons, who have done something unusual, considering they are just six years old. It turns out that one of them might be a pervert, and now the school is trying to figure out what’s going on with this future pervert and what the reason behind his actions is.
Armand is an interesting Norwegian movie about a single mother whose six-year-old son is causing problems at school—and it’s not the first time. One day, she’s called in to talk to a teacher because her son has done something perverted to his best friend, who is also six years old. The parents of the other kid are also called in, and it turns out that the mother of the pervert’s best friend is the sister of the protagonist’s deceased husband. So this is going to be intense and uncomfortable.
I really enjoyed Armand. It’s a movie that builds up the story and the tension, and I felt sorry for the single mother who has lost her husband. She has a somewhat bad reputation for being selfish, but when you see how the story unfolds in Armand, you will feel sorry for her because this story is quite messed up.
If you liked the Danish movie The Hunt (aka Jakten) with Mads Mikkelsen, I think you’ll also like Armand. It’s just that I felt Armand was even darker than The Hunt, though The Hunt has a more emotional and better-developed story, while Armand feels more experimental and a little bit “arty-farty” because there are some really long scenes that drag out the runtime. I can’t say I enjoyed the long laughing scene, and there’s also a long dancing scene, plus a more interesting one toward the end when the protagonist starts seeing things. These scenes have one thing in common: they are as long as Pinocchio’s nose.
Armand isn’t a movie where I can reveal too much, because then I’ll ruin the experience for people who want to watch it. But the story is intriguing, and what happens toward the end is pretty shocking. Even though this is a dark story about a single mother who feels like the world is against her—especially when it seems like the teachers are picking sides—there are some half-funny scenes with black humor that brighten the mood, especially in the first hour. But then things start getting uglier, the black humor disappears, and we’re left with a twisted story that shifts in a direction I didn’t expect. But that makes it more engaging—and more sick.
The actors are great, and in the lead role, we find Norway’s new female movie star, Renate Reinsve. She does a great job, but I have to say the other actors are also good, and they have great chemistry. I hated the school’s principal—he’s such a coward, and I wanted to pull off his beard and wipe my… you know, with it.
If you want to watch a movie that sometimes feels like a David Lynch film in a few scenes, with a twisted story that takes you places you don’t expect, Armand is a movie you should watch. I didn’t expect much from it, so it took me by surprise—especially since I see it hasn’t been that well received. I don’t understand why, because this is an interesting movie with some pacing issues, but also some unique ideas and visuals. And it helps that the school building is old and cold—that adds a lot of extra atmosphere and tension.