Turn Me On, Dammit!

Turn Me On, Dammit! (Norwegian: Få meg på, for faen!) or Turn Me On, Goddammit! is a 2011 Norwegian coming-of-age comedy film directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen. It is based on Olaug Nilssen’s novel of the same name.[2] Set in Skoddeheimen, a fictional small town in western Norway,[3] the film is about Alma (Helene Bergsholm), a 15-year-old girl and her sexual awakening.

Turn Me On, Dammit!
Directed byJannicke Systad Jacobsen
Produced byBrede Hovland
Written byJannicke Systad Jacobsen
Based onFå meg på, for faen
by Olaug Nilssen
StarringHelene Bergsholm
Malin Bjørhovde
Beate Støfring
Matias Myr
Julia Schacht
Arthur Berning
Music byGinge Anvik
CinematographyMarianne Bakke
Edited byZaklina Stojcevska
Production
company
Motlys
Release date
  • 19 August 2011 (2011-08-19)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryNorway
LanguageNorwegian
Box office$126,085[1]

Plot

In the small town of Skoddeheimen, Norway, Alma is a 15-year-old girl experiencing her sexual awakening. Unbeknownst to her mother, she regularly calls hotlines for phone sex, and masturbates while fantasizing about Artur, a boy from school. One night, Alma attends a party with her friends. While outside, Artur approaches her, exposes his erect penis, and pokes her with it. Thrilled, she retreats to a room to masturbate, and then rejoins her friends to tell them about the episode. They react with skepticism, and Artur obliquely denies the allegation. Alma becomes ostracized for slander, and is bullied with the nickname "Dick Alma".

Upon receiving her telephone bill, Alma's mother discovers enormous expenses and immediately confronts Alma about calling a pay number. Alma straightforwardly says it is phone sex, and that she patronizes it because of her hypersexuality. However, Alma promises she will pay for it, and takes a part-time job at a convenience store. There, she gets into trouble for stealing a pornographic magazine, which the owner contacts her mother about. Her mother replies she sees Alma as abnormal. Overwhelmed by the bullying at school, Alma briefly runs away, but her mother eventually welcomes her back home.

Alma confronts Artur, who confesses he poked her with his penis, and she did not simply imagine the incident, but denies sexual attraction to her. He decides to make things right with Alma, publicly confirming allegations he poked her with his penis. He also expresses romantic interest. She introduces Artur to her mother, and they have dinner together.

Cast
  • Helene Bergsholm as Alma
  • Malin Bjørhovde as Sara
  • Beate Støfring as Ingrid
  • Matias Myren as Artur
  • Lars Nordtveit Listau as Kjartan
  • Henriette Steenstrup as Alma's mother
  • Jon Bleiklie Devik as Sebjørn
  • Julia Bache-Wiig as Maria
  • Finn Tokvam as Math teacher
  • Per Kjerstad as Stig (voice)
  • Julia Schacht as Elisabeth (as Julia Elise Schacht)
  • Arthur Berning as Terje

Production

Director Jannicke Systad Jacobsen said the novel was popular in Norway, and that she "related to it in a kind philosophical and artistic way".[4] Jacobsen said she admired how the story captured the teenage experience, in how minor incidents became major. Much of the casting took place in a town reminiscent of the one in the story, requiring acting lessons for the young actors. Many of them saw the screenplay only shortly before shooting, avoiding a highly practiced approach.[4]

Release

The film was featured in the Tribeca Film Festival, Zurich Film Festival and Stockholm International Film Festival.[5] It had a wider opening in Norway in August 2011, performing well in the national box office.[5]

In the U.S., it opened in New York City on 30 March 2012.[6] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.K. in 2013, with a 15 rating.[7]

Reception

Based on 39 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 92% approval rating and an average score of 7.4 out of 10.[8] The New York Times critic Jeannette Catsoulis found an "affectionately deadpan tone" in the film.[6] For The Globe and Mail, Alexandra Molotkow gave it three stars, writing it was unusual as a coming-of-age film for focusing on a young woman.[9] Jordan Mintzer, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, positively reviewed the film for its heart, comedy and performances.[5] Ben Walsh of The Independent called it "droll and refreshingly honest".[7]

Jacobsen won the Screenplay award at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.[10] Turn Me On, Dammit! also won 2012 Amanda Awards for Best Norwegian Film in Theatrical Release and Best Cinematography.[11]

References
  1. "Turn Me On, Dammit!". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. "ADAPTING THE BOOK". turnmeondammit.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  3. "SKODDEHEIMEN". turnmeondammit.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  4. Smith, Nigel M. (29 March 2012). "FUTURES: Writer/Director Jannicke Systad Jacobsen Just Wants You To 'Turn Me On, Dammit!'". IndieWire. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. Mintzer, Jordan (30 October 2011). "'Turn Me On, Goddammit!' (Fa Meg Pa, For Faen!): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. Catsoulis, Jeannette (29 March 2012). "She Lets Her Sexuality Loose, and the Phone Bills Mount". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  7. Walsh, Ben (29 March 2013). "DVD & Blu-ray review: Turn Me On, Goddammit (15)". The Independent. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  8. "Turn Me On, Dammit!". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  9. Molotkow, Alexandra (18 May 2012). "Turn Me On: She's gotta have it". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  10. Mintzer, Jordan (28 March 2012). "Film Review: Turn Me On, Dammit!". Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  11. "The 2012 Amanda winners". Norwegian Film Institute. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
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