Eggs is a humorous and somewhat melancholic portrayal of the Norwegian countryside where, in the movie, Pa and Moe lives. They are brothers and have lived together all their lives except for when Pa made a weekend trip to Småland in Sweden on his moped during the Second World War. This has become a source of mistrust between the brothers who chose never to mention it. The past, however, catches up with Pa when he reciveves a telephone call from Sweden about his son. Konrad, his son, it turns out, is handicapped and comes to live with Pa and Moe after his mother has fallen ill. Konrad is not kind to the elderly brothers and tensions build up. The climax, however, also becomes the end of the movie.

The humour about the brothers' time-consuming and meaningless interests and routines is evident to anyone. Hamer's fascination for routines and abonrmality requires only two credible characters to create a surrealistic universe. Anyone - regardless of culture and background - can enjoy that aspect of the film. There is, however, some exclusively Norwegian humour: The radio, through which they see the world as the camera's position so often implies, continously broadcasts weather forecasts for the western coast, hardly useful far inland. The snow plough in the opening sequence, rushing through the farmland on bare winter roads is also a meaningful comment to Norwegian society. On the other hand, the occasional view of the sewage in the house, a very unsanitary system, provides the modern, urban audience with a shocking experience: This was just ten years ago - things are still that way somewhere. Even in Norway.

What regards the actors, Sverre Hansen and Kjell Stormoen, they perform their roles brilliantly and the lack of self-irony becomes a source of humour in itself. The facial and bodily expressions always underline the confusion and lack of competence of the two brothers. For example, the strongly implied happiness and interest when, by appointment, a maid comes by is just great.

Overall, there is very little that I do not like about this film. It is, indeed, slow-paced, but that is rather a significant thematic trait and not at all a weakness as some believe: Pa and Moe would not seem credible or comfortable in a fast paced film. Nevertheless, this film remains one for those particularily interested in film as a phenomenon and not a blockbuster by any standard.