Don't get too excited by the title of the new Norwegian film, “Sex.” The act itself is actually only briefly discussed in this fascinating film, the first in a new trilogy from writer-director Dag Johan Haugerud, relying mostly on the words and descriptions of the main characters rather than much visual information. Haugerud, winner of the Europa Cinemas label for best European film in the Panorama section of the current Berlin Film Festival, where it had its world premiere this week, has announced this as the first of three films – “Sex, Dreams” and then “Love” – ​​with the same cast and which, overall, will explore themes of desire, identity and freedom, not to mention sexuality and the place of gender in our lives and society. This first standalone film also leans heavily on masculinity in ways not usually discussed by men, but here they do in a profound way in this thought-provoking film that also puts Norway's most famous city, Oslo, in the spotlight.

Haugerud's dialogue-driven script is full of monologues delivered in conversational dialogues with either two male colleagues (never named) from a chimney sweeping company and/or their wives. It begins with the boss (Thorbjørn Harr) telling an unseen person about a dream in which he encounters David Bowie, who thinks he is a woman. The dream is described in detail and clearly disturbs him, as he has never experienced such a vivid depiction of gender, his sex and his image from the perspective of others, in such a graphic situation, whether in a dream or not. The camera soon reveals that he is not speaking to a therapist (my first thought) but to a colleague (Jan Gunnar Røise), who then decides, albeit hesitantly at first, to tell of a recent real-life encounter he had with a man in the kitchen of a house where he was working on the chimney, a stranger who, he says, saw him as an object of desire and asked him point blank if he wanted to have sex with him. He tells his colleague that he immediately refused – they are both married – but that he quickly returned after leaving and, he says, ended up having sex with the man. What's more, he even tells his wife (Siri Forberg) all about it in a matter-of-fact way afterwards.

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One can imagine that the story didn't go down well, and for the rest of the 2 hours and 5 minutes, her character is all about becoming more and more deeply disturbed about what this all means, not just for their marriage, but for her, her family, and whether her husband is actually gay. In these intimate and lengthy conversations, he assures everyone that just because he did it once with a man doesn't mean he's an alcoholic. Harr's character also confesses to his wife (a more understanding Birgitte Larsen) his own strange dreams in which David Bowie sees him as a woman, and has to digest the fact that this has more of an impact on his marriage than on his lifelong understanding of his identity and the way he is seen.

Once we're past these heavy, if sometimes tedious, discussions, Haugerud manages to lighten things up a bit, as Harr's character takes his son Hans Petter (Adrian Jenure Skaaland) to a doctor (a wonderfully incisive and natural Anne Marie Ottersen) to examine the boy's injured hand, but at the same time asks her about his own ailments. In a somewhat whimsical way, she begins a story about two young gay men, one of whom is seriously ill. Haugerud suddenly thrusts us into flashbacks to tell this story within a story. I, for one, was glad to get out of the claustrophobic conversations sparked by the chimney sweeps' revelations and into something else, anything else. The slow and deliberate pacing, with minimal camera movement in so many scenes between them and their wives, makes everything seem longer than it is.

Aside from that, Sex is full of wry observations about human behavior and life's unanswered questions about who we really are. The superbly chosen actors, especially Røise and Harr, tell the story in a subdued, almost deadpan style. The camerawork, which also puts Oslo himself in the spotlight, is masterfully executed by Cecile Semec. And as befits such a profound film, it all ends with a musical dance sequence – of course – in which Harr's character performs on stage with his choir while Røise's character and his entire family, now seemingly content to carry on with their lives as before, watch from the audience. No explanations are needed, but perhaps we'll get one as the trilogy moves into the next chapter.

Producers are Yngve Saether and Hege Hauff Hvattum.

Title: sex
Festival: Berlin (Panorama)
Director-Screenwriter: Tag Johan Haugerud
Pour: Jan Gunnar Roise, Thorbjörn Harr, Siri Forberg, Birgitte Larsen, Nasrin Khusrawy, Hadrian Jenure Skaaland, Theo Dahl, Anne Marie Ottersen
Sales agent: M Appeal
Duration: 2 hrs 5 mins

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The post Norwegian Prize Winner Is Complicated And Dialogue-Pushed First Entry In Dag Johan Haugerud’s Formidable Trilogy – Berlin Movie Pageant appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

This Is Us Season 6 is packing all of the emotional punches it can muster, and only nine episodes have aired. Most recently, the final season has provided viewers with one last Big Three trilogy. And after Kevin and Kate’s powerful hours, it’s time for Randall to make the audience cry. But can fans expect to see the Randall-centric episode of This Is Us tonight, March 29?

Sterling K Brown as Randall | Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

‘This Is Us’ Season 6 Episode 10 airs tonight, March 29

Fans will not have to wait very long to see what happens to Randall following Rebecca’s Thanksgiving speech. This Is Us Season 6 Episode 10, “Every Version of You,” premieres tonight, March 29, on NBC. And in other good news, the remainder of season 6 will air weekly with no interruptions until the This Is Us series finale on May 24.

The synopsis for tonight’s episode of This Is Us reads, “Randall and Rebecca embark on a road trip and reflect on their past.” Justin Hartley directed the hour, and Kay Oyegun wrote it.

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What happened in the most recent episodes?

The first two episodes of the Big Three trilogy focused on how Kevin and Kate reacted to Rebecca’s emotional plea, and the same could be said for Randall in tonight’s This Is Us episode.

After the Pearson’s finished Thanksgiving dinner, Rebecca sat down with Kevin, Kate, and Randall, with Miguel by her side. She informed them that she chose Miguel to make medical decisions for her if she was incapable of doing so herself. And if Miguel is not around, Kate would step in his place. Rebecca told her children that she had made her choice, and she didn’t want to hear any opposition.

The Pearson matriarch then made a request. Rebecca wanted Kevin, Kate, and Randall to live their lives to the fullest without her illness holding them back. Specifically, she declared, “You will not make your lives smaller because of me.”

In the Kevin-centric hour of the trilogy, Kevin took his mother’s words of wisdom and found his purpose in life. He decided to start the Big Three Homes construction company with Nicky and Cassidy and employ veterans. And in Kate’s episode, she called Phillip to inform him that she wanted to be considered for a new position at the school in Los Angeles. The call occurred after Kate and Toby had a massive fight about moving to San Francisco.

Now, in tonight’s episode of This Is Us, it’s time for Randall to derive his own meaning from Rebecca’s request.

Tonight’s episode of ‘This Is Us’ is a touching Randall and Rebecca story

Randall got a call from Jae-Won in episode 7 about a senator wanting to contact him. This senator will, undoubtedly, play a role in tonight’s This Is Us episode. The NBC drama has teased Randall’s political future as a “rising star” since the season 5 finale. And it seems like episode 10 will give fans more details about his next political endeavor.

Plus, the audience will see Randall dealing with the fallout of telling Malik to stay away from Deja. And Randall will seek answers regarding why Rebecca chose Kate over him to be her decision-maker.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Justin Hartley teased what fans could expect from the Randall episode of the Big Three trilogy.

“Randall is on this journey with his mother, and he’s always been the one that took care of her,” Hartley said. “She’s explained to him that it’s his time to take care of himself now. There are maybe greater things that he can affect more people than just one, and he might be able to do some things that can affect an entire nation or a world. And he certainly can’t do those things if he’s hindered by the things that he’s allowed to hinder him in the past.”

The director/actor concluded, “It’s a really moving episode. I can’t wait for everybody to see it.”

This Is Us Season 6 Episode 10 airs tonight, March 29, at 9 pm ET on NBC.

RELATED: ‘This Is Us’ Season 6 Episode 8 Recap: Kevin Reunites With Cassidy in ‘The Guitar Man’

The post Is ‘This Is Us’ on Tonight? Randall Closes out the Huge Three Trilogy With a ‘Actually Transferring Episode’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.