Full Thangka Review | Act Normal
Act Normal addresses questions faced by many young men who join a monastery at a young age: What is the “real” world like? What am I missing by not being in a relationship, by not having a family? How can I renounce what I haven’t yet experienced? Shot over a decade in Iceland and Thailand, the film follows a young Englishman who after 16 years as a Buddhist monk puts aside his robes for a wife, a job, and a “normal” life.
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Variety Review | Act Normal
The unusual, if not bizarre, spiritual journey of an Englishman who became a Buddhist monk in Thailand, moved to Iceland, and then gave it all up to marry a Russian is recounted in engaging docu “Act Normal.” Appropriately contemplative in pace, given its subject’s beliefs, this sophomore effort by Icelandic helmer Olaf de Fleur shifts away the jocular tone of his debut “Africa United,” but still lets the warmth of its protagonist’s personality shine through. Pro production values make “Normal” look better than the usual docu fare, which should provide fest circuit-legs and an increased chance of offshore TV bookings.
