Knoester & Berkelientje-Knerten gifter seg (2010)

Directed by: Martin Lund | 78 minutes | comedy, adventure, family | Actors: Adrian Grønnevik Smith, Åsleik Engmark, Pernille Sørensen, Jan Gunnar Røise, Petrus A. Christensen, Sampda Sharma, Amalie Blankholm Heggemsnes, Per Schaaning, Per Jansen, Anna Bache-Wiig, Kristian Smedhaugen, Tone Beate Mostraums, Gard B. Liv Bye Karlsen, Ola Otnes, Espen Rognlien

‘Knoester en Berkelientje’ is the sequel to ‘Knoester’ from 2009, but can also be followed without having seen the first part. The films are based on the successful children’s book series by Anne-Catherine Vestly. The story is set in 1960s Norway. Junior is still having a great time with his talking branch Knoester. He regularly helps his mother in the store and together they dream of the moment when Junior has saved enough money for the new red bicycle that is shining in the store. In between, Junior’s mother follows the radio reports of the impending royal wedding (Harald V marrying commoner Sonja Haraldsen, which was unheard of at the time!). Just after Junior’s dad goes on a business trip for a week, Junior’s mom has an accident with her bike. When Junior and his brother Phillip find her in the ditch, a friendly lady, the mother of the spoiled kid Karsten, whom Junior had already met that day, takes her to the hospital.

Junior’s primary mission is to find out what caused his mother’s bicycle accident. He has found a broken car lamp along the road, but Phillip doesn’t want to hear about it. Initially, the suspicion lies on the bus driver, who also makes himself very suspicious with his grumbling about cyclists, who, according to him, only pose a danger on the road. But soon Junior has the idea that someone else knows more about it. With the help of Junior’s girlfriend Tiny, he tries to solve the mystery. But will Junior be happy in the end when he finds out the true facts of the “mommy collision”?

As the title of the film indicates, Knoester gets a girlfriend in ‘Knoester en Berkelientje’. Tiny has transformed a beautiful birch branch into a girl, including two cute pigtails. In fact, Knoester immediately falls for the charms of the funny Berkelientje, but it takes a while before he dares to admit it. Incidentally, the title does not fully cover the load, because not much time has been made available for the blossoming relationship between the two wooden friends. Furthermore, there are new characters in the film, with the often crying female car mechanic standing out the most. She’s a bit of an odd one out and her behavior may raise questions among preschoolers, but it’s bound to have a positive effect. Karsten, Junior’s age, has just moved into the village, but whether he and Junior will become friends remains to be seen.

Like ‘Knoester’, its successor ‘Knoester en Berkelientje’ is a sweet and entertaining family film, brimming with nostalgia and humour. Director Martin Lund takes this children’s film to a higher level with surprising film effects (such as when Junior and Tiny sell pancakes, or when Junior and Knoester have a bicycle accident themselves). Every now and then the film is still quite exciting: being home alone with your big brother might be fun for a while, but what if that lasts several days? Furthermore, Junior and Karsten themselves drive a car and Junior decides to run away from home. Fortunately, Lund knows how to manage the tension well and to alternate it with funny and romantic moments.