Following its world premiere at this year's 77th Cannes Film Festival, the Scottish capital plays host to the UK premiere of the much-anticipated feature film debut from Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Armand. Grandson of cinematic great Ingmar Bergman, screen royalty Liv Ullmann, and with a Caméra d'Or to his name, the director's first film comes with high expectations. The question is, can Tøndel live up to them?
After her six-year-old son is accused of crossing boundaries at school, Elizabeth (Renate Reinsve) is called in to meet with school staff and the accuser's parents to discuss the incident. The film opens with junior teacher Sunna (Thea Lambrechts Vaulen) being instructed to lead the meeting between the three parents by the school's headmaster Jarle (Øystein Røger). Reminding her to be delicate, diplomatic and to choose her words wisely on behalf of the school, it becomes clear how out of its depth the school is with dealing with the issue; while Jarle himself is diplomatic in the way he passes down responsibility to Sunna, he can't give her a straight answer when she asks about an official procedure.
The cracks in the system are shown literally through derelict school hallways and the clear mishandling of the situation by the school themselves allows for the parents to take control of the situation, leading to doubt among the audience as to who is telling the truth and who is manoeuvring the system in order to protect their child.
This mental tug-of-war between the characters on screen allows Tøndel to show off his talents behind the camera. Using the visuals masterfully to manipulate the audience's suspicions, the director makes use of the writing, the staging, and even the length of shots to create doubts for different characters at any one time.
The performances from a terrific ensemble cast truly elevate the material, particularly Renate Reinsve and Ellen Dorrit Petersen as Sarah, the mother of the accuser. Dominating the screen, Reinsve's unwavering confidence and blatant disregard toward the proceedings create the impression that she is undoubtedly lying for her son, whilst Petersen's calm, quiet demeanour allows her to come across as the perfect victim. Yet, Sarah's insistent need to belittle Elizabeth behind closed doors makes it clear that assumptions can be dangerous when dealing with such a sensitive topic.
It is in these slow reveals that Armand succeeds, constantly changing the audience's perspective and bringing new evidence to the table. However, there comes a point where the film hits a glass ceiling. Whereas the first half expertly investigates not only the incident itself but also the system that has been built to solve it, as well as all who are involved, the second half marks a jarring tonal shift with an expressive dance number that comes seemingly out of nowhere.
Going from an investigation into those under suspicion, as well as those doing the investigating, to a commentary on the harm of such claims both for the accused and the accuser, certainly makes logical sense but the shift in both tone and style makes it difficult to stomach.
With this Armand loses its footing and begins to stumble. The subtleties of the examination slowly dissipate and what takes its place is a heavy-handed metaphor for the herd mind of thinking and the damage it can do to everyone involved.
Thankfully, a powerful ending saves the day for Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel's debut and he manages to stick the landing. Although the young director's talents are on show with his feature-length debut, so too are his shortcomings. They may anchor this movie for the filmmaker but it is evident that the good outweighs the bad and that Tøndel is a director to keep your eye on.
Armand takes the procedural drama and holds a magnifying glass up to a system intent on protecting those it serves, revealing all the cracks and flaws that end up hurting everyone along the way. Though it stumbles near the end, this picture is masterful when done right, marking an impressive debut for Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel. Wickedly smart, wonderfully acted, and well crafted, Armand is worth a watch in spite of its flaws.
Armand will screen at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2024
