Cinema'Nasir' places the story of a saree salesman within the larger canvas of Islamophobia, and has received wide praise and critical acclaim.Tnm StaffFilmmaker Arun Karthick’s Nasir has been awarded the prestigious Grand Prix at the 14th Andrei Tarkovsky Zerkalo (Mirror in Russian) International film festival, Russia. Arun Karthick whose first film Sivapuranam came out in 2016, shared the news on his social media account. “This is indeed a special recognition for the entire team of Nasir and I would personally like to dedicate this award to the memory of our late editor Arghya Basu,” wrote the Coimbatore-based filmmaker. The cash award was announced by jury head Fred Kelemen, noted cinematographer who has worked in Bela Tarr's The Man from London and The Turin Horse. In India, Nasir, starring Koumarane Valavane in the pivotal role, streamed on June 6 as part of Mami’s online 'We Are One: A Global Film...
- 7/1/2020
- by Anjana
- The News Minute
The Sacrifice Kino Classics from Kino Lorber – new 4K restoration Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Andre Tartovsky Screenwriter: Andre Tartovsky Cinematography: Sven Nykvist Production Design: Anna Asp Costumes: Inger Pehrsson Editing: Andrei Tarkovsky, Michal Leszczylowski Cast: Erland Josephson, Susan Fleetwood, Allan Edwall, Guorún Gísladóttir, Sven Wollter, Valérie Mairesse, Filippa Franzén, Tommy Kjellqvist Screened at: […]
The post The Sacrifice Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Sacrifice Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/23/2018
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
A newly restored print of Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice wraps its run at Bam tonight, so now’s as good a time as any to take in Directed by Tarkovsky. A compilation of 50+ hours of behind the scenes footage shot by d.p. Arne Carlsson, along with excerpts from Tarkovsky’s book Sculpting in Time, editor Michal Leszczylowski’s documentary is an insightful window into the Russian great’s exacting process. Especially intriguing is his language barrier work with the actors, of whom he writes, “Cinema demands the truth of a state of mind that cannot be concealed, and the director has to induce the right state of mind in […]...
- 11/25/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
A newly restored print of Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice wraps its run at Bam tonight, so now’s as good a time as any to take in Directed by Tarkovsky. A compilation of 50+ hours of behind the scenes footage shot by d.p. Arne Carlsson, along with excerpts from Tarkovsky’s book Sculpting in Time, editor Michal Leszczylowski’s documentary is an insightful window into the Russian great’s exacting process. Especially intriguing is his language barrier work with the actors, of whom he writes, “Cinema demands the truth of a state of mind that cannot be concealed, and the director has to induce the right state of mind in […]...
- 11/25/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Bill Skarsgård, Simon and the Oaks Best film Apflickorna / She Monkeys Producer: Helene Lindholm Play Producer: Erik Hemmendorff Simon och ekarna / Simon and the Oaks Producers: Christer Nilson, Per Holst Best Foreign Language Film Kynodontas / Dogtooth Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Jodaeiye Nader az Simin / A Separation Director: Asghar Farhadi Winter's Bone Director: Debra Granik Best Director Lisa Aschan for Apflickorna / She Monkeys Lisa Ohlin for Simon och ekarna / Simon and the Oaks Ruben Östlund for Play Best actress in a leading role Ann Petrén for her role as Jonna in Happy End Magdalena Poplawska for her role as Marta in Between 2 Fires Helen Sjöholm for her role as Karin Larsson in Simon och ekarna / Simon and the Oaks Best actor in a leading role Mikael Persbrandt for his role as Johan in Stockholm Östra / Stockholm East Sven-Bertil Taube for his role as George in En enkel till Antibes / A One-way to...
- 1/9/2012
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
While we may have a bias as to who we all think does some of the best DVD and Bu-ray releases around, Kino is slowly cementing their name as one of the biggest and best players in the arthouse DVD and Blu-ray game. The company has now announced two of their most interesting releases to date.
First up, the company will be releasing a newly remastered version of Sergei Eisenstein’s classic, Strike, on Blu-ray. The release will hit shelves on August 30, and has a list price of $35.95, but is available on Amazon right now to pre-order for a low $25.99. The film was Eisenstein’s first, and “deals with a widespread labor strike in a rural factory.”
Finally, the company will also be making available a new Blu-ray of the Andrei Tarkovsky masterpiece, The Sacrifice. This release will come along with a documentary from Tarkovsky’s oft-collaborator Michal Leszczylowski entitled Directed By Andrei Tarkovsky,...
First up, the company will be releasing a newly remastered version of Sergei Eisenstein’s classic, Strike, on Blu-ray. The release will hit shelves on August 30, and has a list price of $35.95, but is available on Amazon right now to pre-order for a low $25.99. The film was Eisenstein’s first, and “deals with a widespread labor strike in a rural factory.”
Finally, the company will also be making available a new Blu-ray of the Andrei Tarkovsky masterpiece, The Sacrifice. This release will come along with a documentary from Tarkovsky’s oft-collaborator Michal Leszczylowski entitled Directed By Andrei Tarkovsky,...
- 6/15/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
By Aaron Hillis
Joachim Trier's mother was a documentarian, his father a sound department tech, his grandfather a Cannes-selected filmmaker, and his distant cousin Lars von Trier, so is it any surprise that the feature debut of this Copenhagen-born, Norwegian-based director has already turned out to be one of the year's best imports? An invigoratingly kinetic punk rock ode to young intellectual camaraderie that's as funny and sexy as it is haunting and sad, "Reprise" knocks chronology and narrative structure on their standardized asses to detail the friendship between twentysomething writers Erik (Espen Klouman-Høiner) and Phillip (Anders Danielsen Lie). Beginning with the two dreaming rebels standing at a mailbox about to ship their first novels to publishers, "Reprise" digressively dazzles in the moments long after, way before, and several hops in between as one becomes famous, the other hustles in his shadow, and the pressures of reality bring them...
Joachim Trier's mother was a documentarian, his father a sound department tech, his grandfather a Cannes-selected filmmaker, and his distant cousin Lars von Trier, so is it any surprise that the feature debut of this Copenhagen-born, Norwegian-based director has already turned out to be one of the year's best imports? An invigoratingly kinetic punk rock ode to young intellectual camaraderie that's as funny and sexy as it is haunting and sad, "Reprise" knocks chronology and narrative structure on their standardized asses to detail the friendship between twentysomething writers Erik (Espen Klouman-Høiner) and Phillip (Anders Danielsen Lie). Beginning with the two dreaming rebels standing at a mailbox about to ship their first novels to publishers, "Reprise" digressively dazzles in the moments long after, way before, and several hops in between as one becomes famous, the other hustles in his shadow, and the pressures of reality bring them...
- 5/14/2008
- by Aaron Hillis
- ifc.com
In "Together", Lukas Moodysson takes a mostly light-hearted look at the Swedish political left of the mid-1970s. The movie's mix of comic and dramatic subplots works hard to support a theme, which loosely can be described as debunking the Romance of the Left. While clearly admiring the ideals that these young people embraced fervently, Moodysson has a spot of fun with their excessive theorizing and political rigidity that allowed for little compromise.
Mostly, though, the IFC Films release traffics in nostalgia for a time when people at least believed in something. This is not likely to cause much of a stir among moviegoers too young to remember those days. And among those who do, the film should provoke only mild interest. Nonetheless, Moodysson has now seen two low-budget, no-name movies get released in the United States, which might have fellow European filmmakers wondering what the hell he is doing right.
In his first film as director, 1998's "Show Me Love" (aka "Fucking Amal"), Moodysson allows social observations to spring from a well-defined narrative about young people in a backwater town. In his new film, though, which he wrote as well, he sets up characters and situations more to get across a point of view than to move along a story.
The film takes place in and around the Tillsammans -- Swedish for "Together" -- commune, which occupies a large house in Stockholm. Its members seek solace from the world they collectively wish to revolutionize. Together, they pursue vegetarianism, open sexual relationships, political debate, homosexual experimentation and drink copious amounts of wine in a safely antibourgeois, non-TV environment. Their kids can't always figure out what gives with their strident parents, but they adjust quickly enough, often seemingly having the most fun.
The movie joins the commune at the same time Elisabeth (Lisa Lindgren) does. The sister of its nominal leader, Goran (Gustav Hammarsten), she brings along her two kids, the insecure Stefan (Sam Kessel) and painfully shy Eva (Emma Samuelsson). Elisabeth has joined the commune to escape her drunken, abusive husband Rolf (Michael Nyqvist).
Meanwhile, Goran's girlfriend, Lena (Anja Lundqvist), causes him untold emotional distress with her open sexual pursuit of just about everybody other than Goran. Sarcastic Lasse (Ola Norell) amuses himself by alternately rejecting and tantalizing the gay Klas (Shanti Roney).
At the same time, Lasse's ex-wife Anna (Jessica Liedberg) has become a determined lesbian, inviting nearly every women she meets to her room to "meditate." Across the garden, a next-door neighbor (Therese Brunnander) snoops into the commune's activities as her husband (Claes Hartelius) masturbates over porn magazines in the cellar and their young son, Fredrik (Henrik Lundstrom), becomes pals with the commune's kids.
There are a few brilliant moments of social satire, such as when the kids, picking up clues from the adults' political discussions, play "Pinochet torturing prisoners in Chile" -- complete with simulated electric torture -- and in arguments over the political implications of children's stories like "Pippi Longstocking".
But most of the subplots suffer from lameness, including exaggerated reactions to the introduction of an imperialistic bottle of Coca-Cola into the commune or a debate over hot dogs.
One very weird sequence, when an inebriated Lena appears ready to sexually attack the young boy next door, could possibly have been resisted. And the happy ending feels forced -- but then, much of the film feels forced.
So far, Moodysson has proved an accomplished writer and director of young people including children. But his adult characters often verge on cartoons, as they do here. Still, the young Swede clearly is a director to track as he continues his exploration of Swedish society and its hypocrisies, passions and ironies.
TOGETHER
IFC Films
Memfis Film
Producer: Lars Jonsson
Screenwriter-director: Lukas Moodysson
Director of photography: Ulf Brantas
Production designer: Carl Johan De Geer
Costume designer: Mette Moller
Editors: Michal Leszczylowski, Fredrik Abrahamsen
Color/stereo
Cast:
Elisabeth: Lisa Lindgren
Rolf: Michael Nyqvist
Eva: Emma Samuelsson
Stefan: Sam Kessel
Goran: Gustav Hammarsten
Lena: Anja Lundqvist
Anna: Jessica Liedberg
Lasse: Ola Norell
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Mostly, though, the IFC Films release traffics in nostalgia for a time when people at least believed in something. This is not likely to cause much of a stir among moviegoers too young to remember those days. And among those who do, the film should provoke only mild interest. Nonetheless, Moodysson has now seen two low-budget, no-name movies get released in the United States, which might have fellow European filmmakers wondering what the hell he is doing right.
In his first film as director, 1998's "Show Me Love" (aka "Fucking Amal"), Moodysson allows social observations to spring from a well-defined narrative about young people in a backwater town. In his new film, though, which he wrote as well, he sets up characters and situations more to get across a point of view than to move along a story.
The film takes place in and around the Tillsammans -- Swedish for "Together" -- commune, which occupies a large house in Stockholm. Its members seek solace from the world they collectively wish to revolutionize. Together, they pursue vegetarianism, open sexual relationships, political debate, homosexual experimentation and drink copious amounts of wine in a safely antibourgeois, non-TV environment. Their kids can't always figure out what gives with their strident parents, but they adjust quickly enough, often seemingly having the most fun.
The movie joins the commune at the same time Elisabeth (Lisa Lindgren) does. The sister of its nominal leader, Goran (Gustav Hammarsten), she brings along her two kids, the insecure Stefan (Sam Kessel) and painfully shy Eva (Emma Samuelsson). Elisabeth has joined the commune to escape her drunken, abusive husband Rolf (Michael Nyqvist).
Meanwhile, Goran's girlfriend, Lena (Anja Lundqvist), causes him untold emotional distress with her open sexual pursuit of just about everybody other than Goran. Sarcastic Lasse (Ola Norell) amuses himself by alternately rejecting and tantalizing the gay Klas (Shanti Roney).
At the same time, Lasse's ex-wife Anna (Jessica Liedberg) has become a determined lesbian, inviting nearly every women she meets to her room to "meditate." Across the garden, a next-door neighbor (Therese Brunnander) snoops into the commune's activities as her husband (Claes Hartelius) masturbates over porn magazines in the cellar and their young son, Fredrik (Henrik Lundstrom), becomes pals with the commune's kids.
There are a few brilliant moments of social satire, such as when the kids, picking up clues from the adults' political discussions, play "Pinochet torturing prisoners in Chile" -- complete with simulated electric torture -- and in arguments over the political implications of children's stories like "Pippi Longstocking".
But most of the subplots suffer from lameness, including exaggerated reactions to the introduction of an imperialistic bottle of Coca-Cola into the commune or a debate over hot dogs.
One very weird sequence, when an inebriated Lena appears ready to sexually attack the young boy next door, could possibly have been resisted. And the happy ending feels forced -- but then, much of the film feels forced.
So far, Moodysson has proved an accomplished writer and director of young people including children. But his adult characters often verge on cartoons, as they do here. Still, the young Swede clearly is a director to track as he continues his exploration of Swedish society and its hypocrisies, passions and ironies.
TOGETHER
IFC Films
Memfis Film
Producer: Lars Jonsson
Screenwriter-director: Lukas Moodysson
Director of photography: Ulf Brantas
Production designer: Carl Johan De Geer
Costume designer: Mette Moller
Editors: Michal Leszczylowski, Fredrik Abrahamsen
Color/stereo
Cast:
Elisabeth: Lisa Lindgren
Rolf: Michael Nyqvist
Eva: Emma Samuelsson
Stefan: Sam Kessel
Goran: Gustav Hammarsten
Lena: Anja Lundqvist
Anna: Jessica Liedberg
Lasse: Ola Norell
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
In "Together", Lukas Moodysson takes a mostly light-hearted look at the Swedish political left of the mid-1970s. The movie's mix of comic and dramatic subplots works hard to support a theme, which loosely can be described as debunking the Romance of the Left. While clearly admiring the ideals that these young people embraced fervently, Moodysson has a spot of fun with their excessive theorizing and political rigidity that allowed for little compromise.
Mostly, though, the IFC Films release traffics in nostalgia for a time when people at least believed in something. This is not likely to cause much of a stir among moviegoers too young to remember those days. And among those who do, the film should provoke only mild interest. Nonetheless, Moodysson has now seen two low-budget, no-name movies get released in the United States, which might have fellow European filmmakers wondering what the hell he is doing right.
In his first film as director, 1998's "Show Me Love" (aka "Fucking Amal"), Moodysson allows social observations to spring from a well-defined narrative about young people in a backwater town. In his new film, though, which he wrote as well, he sets up characters and situations more to get across a point of view than to move along a story.
The film takes place in and around the Tillsammans -- Swedish for "Together" -- commune, which occupies a large house in Stockholm. Its members seek solace from the world they collectively wish to revolutionize. Together, they pursue vegetarianism, open sexual relationships, political debate, homosexual experimentation and drink copious amounts of wine in a safely antibourgeois, non-TV environment. Their kids can't always figure out what gives with their strident parents, but they adjust quickly enough, often seemingly having the most fun.
The movie joins the commune at the same time Elisabeth (Lisa Lindgren) does. The sister of its nominal leader, Goran (Gustav Hammarsten), she brings along her two kids, the insecure Stefan (Sam Kessel) and painfully shy Eva (Emma Samuelsson). Elisabeth has joined the commune to escape her drunken, abusive husband Rolf (Michael Nyqvist).
Meanwhile, Goran's girlfriend, Lena (Anja Lundqvist), causes him untold emotional distress with her open sexual pursuit of just about everybody other than Goran. Sarcastic Lasse (Ola Norell) amuses himself by alternately rejecting and tantalizing the gay Klas (Shanti Roney).
At the same time, Lasse's ex-wife Anna (Jessica Liedberg) has become a determined lesbian, inviting nearly every women she meets to her room to "meditate." Across the garden, a next-door neighbor (Therese Brunnander) snoops into the commune's activities as her husband (Claes Hartelius) masturbates over porn magazines in the cellar and their young son, Fredrik (Henrik Lundstrom), becomes pals with the commune's kids.
There are a few brilliant moments of social satire, such as when the kids, picking up clues from the adults' political discussions, play "Pinochet torturing prisoners in Chile" -- complete with simulated electric torture -- and in arguments over the political implications of children's stories like "Pippi Longstocking".
But most of the subplots suffer from lameness, including exaggerated reactions to the introduction of an imperialistic bottle of Coca-Cola into the commune or a debate over hot dogs.
One very weird sequence, when an inebriated Lena appears ready to sexually attack the young boy next door, could possibly have been resisted. And the happy ending feels forced -- but then, much of the film feels forced.
So far, Moodysson has proved an accomplished writer and director of young people including children. But his adult characters often verge on cartoons, as they do here. Still, the young Swede clearly is a director to track as he continues his exploration of Swedish society and its hypocrisies, passions and ironies.
TOGETHER
IFC Films
Memfis Film
Producer: Lars Jonsson
Screenwriter-director: Lukas Moodysson
Director of photography: Ulf Brantas
Production designer: Carl Johan De Geer
Costume designer: Mette Moller
Editors: Michal Leszczylowski, Fredrik Abrahamsen
Color/stereo
Cast:
Elisabeth: Lisa Lindgren
Rolf: Michael Nyqvist
Eva: Emma Samuelsson
Stefan: Sam Kessel
Goran: Gustav Hammarsten
Lena: Anja Lundqvist
Anna: Jessica Liedberg
Lasse: Ola Norell
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Mostly, though, the IFC Films release traffics in nostalgia for a time when people at least believed in something. This is not likely to cause much of a stir among moviegoers too young to remember those days. And among those who do, the film should provoke only mild interest. Nonetheless, Moodysson has now seen two low-budget, no-name movies get released in the United States, which might have fellow European filmmakers wondering what the hell he is doing right.
In his first film as director, 1998's "Show Me Love" (aka "Fucking Amal"), Moodysson allows social observations to spring from a well-defined narrative about young people in a backwater town. In his new film, though, which he wrote as well, he sets up characters and situations more to get across a point of view than to move along a story.
The film takes place in and around the Tillsammans -- Swedish for "Together" -- commune, which occupies a large house in Stockholm. Its members seek solace from the world they collectively wish to revolutionize. Together, they pursue vegetarianism, open sexual relationships, political debate, homosexual experimentation and drink copious amounts of wine in a safely antibourgeois, non-TV environment. Their kids can't always figure out what gives with their strident parents, but they adjust quickly enough, often seemingly having the most fun.
The movie joins the commune at the same time Elisabeth (Lisa Lindgren) does. The sister of its nominal leader, Goran (Gustav Hammarsten), she brings along her two kids, the insecure Stefan (Sam Kessel) and painfully shy Eva (Emma Samuelsson). Elisabeth has joined the commune to escape her drunken, abusive husband Rolf (Michael Nyqvist).
Meanwhile, Goran's girlfriend, Lena (Anja Lundqvist), causes him untold emotional distress with her open sexual pursuit of just about everybody other than Goran. Sarcastic Lasse (Ola Norell) amuses himself by alternately rejecting and tantalizing the gay Klas (Shanti Roney).
At the same time, Lasse's ex-wife Anna (Jessica Liedberg) has become a determined lesbian, inviting nearly every women she meets to her room to "meditate." Across the garden, a next-door neighbor (Therese Brunnander) snoops into the commune's activities as her husband (Claes Hartelius) masturbates over porn magazines in the cellar and their young son, Fredrik (Henrik Lundstrom), becomes pals with the commune's kids.
There are a few brilliant moments of social satire, such as when the kids, picking up clues from the adults' political discussions, play "Pinochet torturing prisoners in Chile" -- complete with simulated electric torture -- and in arguments over the political implications of children's stories like "Pippi Longstocking".
But most of the subplots suffer from lameness, including exaggerated reactions to the introduction of an imperialistic bottle of Coca-Cola into the commune or a debate over hot dogs.
One very weird sequence, when an inebriated Lena appears ready to sexually attack the young boy next door, could possibly have been resisted. And the happy ending feels forced -- but then, much of the film feels forced.
So far, Moodysson has proved an accomplished writer and director of young people including children. But his adult characters often verge on cartoons, as they do here. Still, the young Swede clearly is a director to track as he continues his exploration of Swedish society and its hypocrisies, passions and ironies.
TOGETHER
IFC Films
Memfis Film
Producer: Lars Jonsson
Screenwriter-director: Lukas Moodysson
Director of photography: Ulf Brantas
Production designer: Carl Johan De Geer
Costume designer: Mette Moller
Editors: Michal Leszczylowski, Fredrik Abrahamsen
Color/stereo
Cast:
Elisabeth: Lisa Lindgren
Rolf: Michael Nyqvist
Eva: Emma Samuelsson
Stefan: Sam Kessel
Goran: Gustav Hammarsten
Lena: Anja Lundqvist
Anna: Jessica Liedberg
Lasse: Ola Norell
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 9/13/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With an abundance of wit and compassion for adolescent pain, director Lukas Moodysson has crafted a wonderful portrait of youth in "Show Me Love". The Swedish film, which opens Outfest '99 on Thursday, will be released by Strand in October. The highly likable film could have a strong impact in specialty markets despite the lack of a well-known director or stars.
The story takes place in the backwater town of Amal, where there is virtually nothing for young people to do except go to school and parties and get high. (The film was originally titled "Fucking Amal", which is how many characters refer to this boring berg.)
Agnes (Rebecca Liljeberg), a lithe, dark-haired girl who moved to Amal two years earlier with her parents, is an outsider with no friends. But she has a secret crush on her blonde classmate Elin (Alexandra Dahlstrom), who is popular with all the girls and an object of desire for most of the boys.
On a dare, Elin plants a kiss on Agnes' lips to see if Agnes lives up to her reputation as a "lesbian." Imagine Elin's shock when she realizes how much she enjoyed the kiss. Instead of pursuing those feelings, Elin plunges into self-denial. She gives Agnes the cold shoulder and takes up with an older boy, Johan (Mathias Rust), whom she doesn't even like.
Meanwhile, her pal Jessica (Erica Carlson) remains in a humdrum relationship with longtime boyfriend Markus (Stefan Horberg). There is little passion in this affair, and Jessica is all too aware of his shortcomings.
Within these simple plot lines, Moodysson poignantly depicts the agony suffered when adolescents get overwhelmed by a bewildering range of emotions. Heartache comes from everywhere: at birthday parties no one attends; in well meaning but obtuse advice from parents; from rejection by the "in" crowd; in the obsessions with status and looks; and in the longing for there to be something more to life than simply growing up.
Moodysson keeps his camera close to his young actors' faces, where one can read uncertainty in their eyes even as they try to act cool. No one is very articulate at this age: They fumble for the right words and often look as if they wish a huge hole would open under their feet and swallow them up.
The nervous close shots isolate the characters' emotions from the specifics of the Swedish milieu. Fucking Amal could just as easily be fucking Akron. The tight cinematography also magnifies the heartless cruelties and sick jokes kids inflict on one another. As a consequence, the eventual triumph of Agnes feels especially satisfying.
"Show Me Love", which represents 29-year-old Moodysson's feature debut, has become one of the biggest film successes in Sweden in recent years. The film, a winner at the Berlin International Film Festival, also won four of Sweden's Guldbagge awards, including best film, director and screenplay. Liljeberg and Dahlstrom shared the prize for best actress. All were well deserved.
SHOW ME LOVE
Strand Releasing
Memfis Film
Producer: Lars Jansson
Co-producer: Peter Aalbaek
Writer-director: Lukas Moodysson
Director of photography: Ulf Brantas
Art directors: Lina Strand, Heidi Saikkonen
Editors: Michal Leszczylowski, Bernhard Winkler
Color/stereo
Cast:
Agnes: Rebecca Liljeberg
Elin: Alexandra Dahlstrom
Jessica: Erica Carlson
Johan Hult: Mathias Rust
Markus: Stefan Horberg
Father Olof: Ralph Carlsson
Mother Karin: Maria Hedborg
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The story takes place in the backwater town of Amal, where there is virtually nothing for young people to do except go to school and parties and get high. (The film was originally titled "Fucking Amal", which is how many characters refer to this boring berg.)
Agnes (Rebecca Liljeberg), a lithe, dark-haired girl who moved to Amal two years earlier with her parents, is an outsider with no friends. But she has a secret crush on her blonde classmate Elin (Alexandra Dahlstrom), who is popular with all the girls and an object of desire for most of the boys.
On a dare, Elin plants a kiss on Agnes' lips to see if Agnes lives up to her reputation as a "lesbian." Imagine Elin's shock when she realizes how much she enjoyed the kiss. Instead of pursuing those feelings, Elin plunges into self-denial. She gives Agnes the cold shoulder and takes up with an older boy, Johan (Mathias Rust), whom she doesn't even like.
Meanwhile, her pal Jessica (Erica Carlson) remains in a humdrum relationship with longtime boyfriend Markus (Stefan Horberg). There is little passion in this affair, and Jessica is all too aware of his shortcomings.
Within these simple plot lines, Moodysson poignantly depicts the agony suffered when adolescents get overwhelmed by a bewildering range of emotions. Heartache comes from everywhere: at birthday parties no one attends; in well meaning but obtuse advice from parents; from rejection by the "in" crowd; in the obsessions with status and looks; and in the longing for there to be something more to life than simply growing up.
Moodysson keeps his camera close to his young actors' faces, where one can read uncertainty in their eyes even as they try to act cool. No one is very articulate at this age: They fumble for the right words and often look as if they wish a huge hole would open under their feet and swallow them up.
The nervous close shots isolate the characters' emotions from the specifics of the Swedish milieu. Fucking Amal could just as easily be fucking Akron. The tight cinematography also magnifies the heartless cruelties and sick jokes kids inflict on one another. As a consequence, the eventual triumph of Agnes feels especially satisfying.
"Show Me Love", which represents 29-year-old Moodysson's feature debut, has become one of the biggest film successes in Sweden in recent years. The film, a winner at the Berlin International Film Festival, also won four of Sweden's Guldbagge awards, including best film, director and screenplay. Liljeberg and Dahlstrom shared the prize for best actress. All were well deserved.
SHOW ME LOVE
Strand Releasing
Memfis Film
Producer: Lars Jansson
Co-producer: Peter Aalbaek
Writer-director: Lukas Moodysson
Director of photography: Ulf Brantas
Art directors: Lina Strand, Heidi Saikkonen
Editors: Michal Leszczylowski, Bernhard Winkler
Color/stereo
Cast:
Agnes: Rebecca Liljeberg
Elin: Alexandra Dahlstrom
Jessica: Erica Carlson
Johan Hult: Mathias Rust
Markus: Stefan Horberg
Father Olof: Ralph Carlsson
Mother Karin: Maria Hedborg
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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