foreign reviewers also gave the film generally positive reviews; duane byrge of "the hollywood reporter" called it a "warm story from frigid norway". "variety"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s alissa simon wrote that it "lacks the fully developed characters and tightly constructed narrative of his more poignant and substantial "kitchen stories"", but that it "nevertheless provides a warm and gently humorous divertissement". she also found the production and score excellent. james rocchi, writing for cinematical, chose to highlight bård owe's performance, and his "warm demeanor" and meticulous "capacity for double-takes". "entertainment weekly"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s lisa schwarzbaum compared owe to jack nicholson's warren schmidt in the film "about schmidt". like others, she also used finnish director aki kaurismäki as a reference to describe hamer's particular cinematic style.