I like small films. This one is a tiny film. Everything from the setting (small, small town) to the plot (girl loves girl in small, small town) to the graininess of the video and the natural light and "whatever we hand at hand"-props, this runs the risk of looking like a real amateur productions. Instead, Moodyson manages to make it look like someone with a camcorder just filmed the real-life story happening around him.
Elin performs the fickle, restless teen brilliantly, Agnes does some wonderful face acting (although she is a little too radiant to convince me that he's the frumpy nerd she's made out to be), but my medal of honor goes to the parents.
For once, we are treated to movie moms and dads who are neither ridiculously idolized and always saying the right thing, nor grotesque "meet the fokkers"-esquire parodies of embarrassment or cruelty. These parents want to do what's right for their kids, but they don't always know what to do, what to say or how to say it. They miss all the Hollywood moments of saying something a team of scriptwriters have been tweaking for a month for maximal tearjerker effect. They try their best, that's all, just like real-life parents. And that's refreshing to me.
A nice flick. Watch it if you feel like a bit of light euro-culture with subtitles.
Elin performs the fickle, restless teen brilliantly, Agnes does some wonderful face acting (although she is a little too radiant to convince me that he's the frumpy nerd she's made out to be), but my medal of honor goes to the parents.
For once, we are treated to movie moms and dads who are neither ridiculously idolized and always saying the right thing, nor grotesque "meet the fokkers"-esquire parodies of embarrassment or cruelty. These parents want to do what's right for their kids, but they don't always know what to do, what to say or how to say it. They miss all the Hollywood moments of saying something a team of scriptwriters have been tweaking for a month for maximal tearjerker effect. They try their best, that's all, just like real-life parents. And that's refreshing to me.
A nice flick. Watch it if you feel like a bit of light euro-culture with subtitles.