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Archive for Chris Gardner - Film

Chris Gardner is a 29-year-old Swedish-American film junkie. He has studied film at Stockholm Film School and screenwriting at Berghs School of Communication. He currently works as a freelance writer and balances that with being head of the film department for one of Swedens larger retail chains.

Closing time. You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.

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We are finally here, at the end of the road. You are reading my last post in the Sweden.se’s film blog. I do admit that it’s a little emotional. My face isn’t leaking but I am ready with some tissues so if it breaks out I can wipe and type.

As a final goodbye here at the end of the year I do feel the urge to share my thoughts of what I consider being the most interesting and fun films & events of 2010. I didn’t just want to do a regular top 5 list. Those are so easily forgettable after reading. Instead I wanted to mix it up a little. I hope you enjoy.

My three favorite Swedish films of the year are:

Behind Blue Skies (Himlen är oskyldigt blå).
This was easily my number one of 2010. It’s a beautiful film with a huge heart and some fantastic acting.

Simple Simon (I rymden finns inga känslor)
Sweden’s choice in the run for the Oscars is a very lovable film which hopefully will win the love of a lot of people around  the world.

Easy Money (Snabba Cash)
This is a film I haven’t mentioned in the blog. The reason for that is that it had a very early 2010 release. It’s based on a book by the same name by Jens Lapidus. Easy Money is a film that no doubt has flaws but at the same time it showed that Swedish crime film can do more than just watered down cop films.

Films people should have seen but didn’t.

Trust Me (Puss).
A very likable film with True Blood’s own Alexander Skarsgård. It’s directed by Johan Kling who did a film called Darling a few years back. Darling is considered being one of Swedens best films of this decade and Trust Me isn’t that far behind.

Psalm 21.
A film that scared basically everyone that went to see it. Sadly a lot of people skipped this one.

Best film where Swedes were involved.

A Better World (Hämnden).
This film which stars Mikael Persbrandt is my favorite Scandinavian film of 2010. The emotions and actors in this film are just mind blowing.

Shanghai.
Directed with a perfect hand by Swede Mikael Håfström. It’s a film noir that basically makes love to your eyes.

Best event of 2010.

Uppsala Short Film Festival. Even if ticket prices are going up (Buu!) they still deliver a very high standard when it comes to films( Yeay!). Stockholm Film Festival was a great one but the very narrow selection of Swedish films forces this festival to take the backseat.

Where the hell are you hiding?

Lukas Moodysson.
The director that took the world by storm a few years back has put the filmmaking hat on the shelf for a while and will be releasing his first book in 21 years this coming March. The book titled Death & Co is about a boy by the name of Lucas whose dad suddenly dies.

It’s an oldie but goodie. Swedish films that you just can’t miss.

Let The Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in).
The vampire film that already has a Hollywood remake (Let Me In) is considered by the very famous English film magazine Empire to be number 15 when it comes to the 100 Best Films of all time.

In Bed With Santa (Tomten är far till alla barnen)
All I have to say about this one is that if you think you have a dysfunctional family around Christmas, just check this one out.

And there we have it people, the latest of the greatest when it comes to Swedish cinema. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading my blog. I hope it’s been a fun read as much of an interesting look at Swedish cinema. Like I wrote in my last post I really don’t know when or even if I’ll be back but with fingers crossed it feel s pretty good.

What will I do now? I’m actually off to Asia for a few months to recharge my batteries. If you would like to follow my journey you may do so here or on my Twitter.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

(And no, that’s NOT me in the video)

Chris Gardner - Film

December 9, 2010

It’s the final countdown

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"The end is in sight, captain" Photo: Wikimedia Commons

We are coming to the end my friends. This Thursday I’ll be writing my last post of the year. Regarding the future I can only say that the future is written in the stars. Sadly I can’t read constellations. I can’t even read Spanish.

When it comes to the future one thing is sure. Swedes will be there. I’m of course talking about film and this year has been a powerhouse of Swedish performance and breakouts. Over the last few months I’ve highlighted a lot of them but I have forgotten one film.

A few years back friends Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein made a film by the name of Storm. The film starred Eric Ericson, Eva Röse and Jonas Karlsson and was a interesting film that mixed genre and style. It put Måns and Björn on the map.  They later did a mini-series for TV called Snapphanar. Their place on the film map grew and suddenly they were visible to Hollywood.

Shelter is the latest film by the Swedish director duo. The film will be released in the US in February but once again Stockholm Film Festival was kind enough to screen it this year. The film stars Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Måns and Björn show very quickly that they know exactly what they’re doing. The film is tight and well directed with great performances, especially from Jonathan Rhys Meyers. His character goes through changes which make him have multiple dialects and mannerisms and he does it perfectly. The film however kind of falls apart in the third act.

Hollywood must be happy with what these guys are doing because their next film will be Underworld 4. Not to trash talk too much I admit that these vampire films aren’t the best films in town but they are films that bring in a lot of money. We all know cash is king in the film business and who knows what doors it will open for Måns and Björn.

Another great Swedish story I have to throw in here is that one of Sweden’s most famous actors, Mikael Persbrandt, has landed a part in the upcoming film The Hobbit by Peter Jackson.

In my final post I will be making a “Best Of 2010” list so hold tight for that. See you soon for the finale.

Chris Gardner - Film

December 7, 2010

Mikael Håfström is back in action with Shanghai

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Mikael Håfström's latest film noir is a great looking film.

The most common dream directors have must be to make it big and then get headhunted to Hollywood, the place where the big boys play with the big money. The new film Shanghai is a perfect example of this.

Mikael Håfström, a man that overnight became world famous for his Swedish film Evil (Ondskan). Not only was it considered one of the best book-to-film adaptations in Swedish history, it was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

It didn’t win the golden statue but it did however manage to pick up 3 awards at the Guldbagge Awards which is the Swedish version of the Oscars.

For the last couple of years Håfström has been making films in Hollywood with some of the biggest stars in the world. Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston in Derailed, Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack in 1408 and he is now finishing up a film by the name of The Rite with Anthony Hopkins.

His latest film is Shanghai, a big budget film noir that takes place in Shanghai during the Second World War. Luckily I got to see it during Stockholm Film Festival and this turned out to be one of my favorites of the festival.

John Cusack plays Paul, a spy who’s in Shanghai to investigate the murder of his friend. A task which puts him right in the middle of a whole lot of trouble. Love affairs, political assassinations and greed, it’s all just another day in Shanghai.

Mikael Håfström once again turns to John Cusack for the lead and Cusack fits into the part of Paul Soames like a perfect glove. Ken Watanabe from The Last Samurai and Chow Yun-Fat also give strong performances in a film that from start to finish look amazing.

This is without a doubt Håfströms biggest (budget is around 50 million dollars) and best film since Evil. I can’t wait for this to hit movie theatres so I can see it again. Shanghai will be released around the world in the beginning of next year.

Chris Gardner - Film

December 2, 2010

Sound Of Noise is a good tune

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A new kind of terrorism in Sound Of Noise PHOTO: Charlotta Tengroth

You don’t know what you got until you’ve lost it. A statement I couldn’t agree with more right now. My Internet has been down for a week now and immediately I feel like I’ve been thrown back to the Middle Ages where I’m too busy hunting for food to be writing for the blog. Luckily the power is now switched back so the neighbor’s dog can come out of hiding.

Last week I spent most of my days at Stockholm Film Festival. Watching films and trying to stay alive in this cold weather we’re having now. I can’t help feeling that the film Day After Tomorrow is loosely based on the Swedish weather around Christmas.

One of the most interesting and original film I saw during the festival was a film called Sound Of Noise. It marks the feature film debut of filmmakers Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson. The film which is inspired by their own short film, Music For One Apartment And Six Drummers, is all about music in its purest form.

A bunch of people do whatever they can to create a masterpiece of sound and for this they are branded terrorists. They run from the police at the same time as they have to complete their work, named Sound Of Noise.

The film has been bouncing around festivals for quite some time now and has picked up several awards. To name drop a few I can tell you it picked up the Young Critics Award and The Golden Rail Award at Cannes. It also won awards in Lübeck, Germany, Austin, USA and it nabbed both the Audience Award and the Free Spirit Award at Warsawa Film Festival. The film is covered in love in other words.

I found the film really original and I had a smile on my face the first 30 minutes of the film because I really had never seen anything like this before.  It truly is one of a kind. However, after these 30 minutes you just kind of wait until the next piece of music begin because the story itself is as flat as a drums high hat. The acting could be tuned a little better as well but all in all the Sound Of Noise is a sound I think most people will take in and like, even if it’s only for a couple of minutes.

Here is the short film that Sound Of Noise is based on:

Trailer for Sound Of Noise:

Chris Gardner - Film

November 29, 2010

One man, one legend, one review

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"So, do you have Facebook mr Cornelis?" PHOTO: Crille Forsberg

I have to say that one of the reasons why I’m writing this review is due to a very pleasant Twitter friend. Time went by but she didn’t lose patience in what I would think of the film Cornelis. A Swedish film that portrays the life of the very beloved and legendary Swedish musician Cornelis Vreeswijk.

How to you start a film about a character whose legacy spans through generations? A career that has touched the skies to later dance with the devil? The director has chosen the obvious start, from the beginning, his childhood.  During his childhood traumatic things happen which shapes the rest of his life.

The filmmakers then focus on his career. A career which best could be described as a spicy dish where the ingredients are praise, money, love, scandals and infidelity. In other words a dish you wouldn’t want served at a Sunday dinner.

Towards the end of Cornelis Vreeswijk’s life he had debts up to his neck and an audience that wasn’t there. Ironically after his death in 1987 his popularity exploded and his albums sold in record numbers.

So how did screenwriter Antonia Pyk and director Amir Chamdin portray the legend? The first word that comes to mind is honest. It feels like they’ve wanted to tell a story as honest and straight as possible. There aren’t any sugarcoating or varnished corners. This and the fact that the film is packed with music makes Cornelis a very pleasant film, even if the things happening on the screen aren’t always as pleasant.

If there’s something that this film needed it would be another hour. The film feels too short and this result in that a lot of things get rushed and the feeling of fulfillment is left behind. Some of the most interesting parts of his life end up on the fast forward button and that would trouble if the film didn’t look this good. I can’t dislike something that looks this good and to sweeten the deal the film is full of absolute fantastic acting. Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby as Cornelis is the best choice any movie has done since Frank Langella nailed the role as Nixon in the film Frost/Nixon. I know, a tall order but hey, I’m Swedish.

(Sorry, no subtitles.)

And here you can listen to one of his most popular songs.

Chris Gardner - Film

November 23, 2010

Inside the actor’s studio..ish

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Do your home work and show up on time is more valued than hours of rehearsal says Swedish actor Lukas Loughran. PHOTO: Lukas Loughran

It’s been a busy film week here in Stockholm. Not only have I been running back and forth from my day job to the Stockholm Film Festival, I’ve also managed to squeeze in this blog and a review for Swedish Radio. Yes I’m taking over. Today radio, tomorrow the world. Well not quite but I could maybe squeeze it in on Thursday.

This week I’ve seen The Killer Inside me by Michael Winterbottom and Monsters by Four Lions by Chris Morris. Not a lot of Swedish film in other words. Much due to the scheduling problems. But that haven’t stopped me from getting some great stuff about Swedish film, or at least about somebody IN Swedish film.

I bumped into Lukas Loughran, a Swedish actor that has played in multiple feature films, shorts and commercials. He has acted with some of Sweden’s most famous actors. Mikael Nyqvist and Mikael Persbrandt are just a few of them. I quickly put on my superhero suit and turned myself into Interview Man again. I saw the opportunity and I took it, can you blame me?

What got you started in acting? Was it a childhood dream or just something you found interesting?
Yes it was but I was to scared to try it since my grades is school where so poor that I thought that something like grades would matter becoming an actor. Needless to say, I was wrong.

What people in the industry inspire you?
It’s all about being totally naked and showing a part of your soul. Anyone who can do that will touch me and inspire me greatly.

Is there any particular role you have done that you are particularly proud of and why?
Both no and yes. I try to always be proud but never satisfied, so that I will try harder next time.

What is your dream project? What director and co-actors would be involved?
That’s a hard one. Susanne Bier is my absolute favorite director and would sacrifice my left hand to work with her. Actor… anyone who likes to play and be serious at the same time, it’s hard to find.

If you only had to watch one film over and over again for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
Der freie Wille by Matthias Glasner

Can you tell us a little bit about the process of an actor i Sweden.
Acting in Sweden on film is more trying to find the essence of the scene in the moment, not so rehearsed always. Do your home work and show up on time is more valued than hours of rehearsal.

And as Interview Man I have to honor Mr. Lipton. What turns you on?
True tears

What turns you off?
False tears

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Why does life need to be so hard?

A clip from Iscariot where he plays against Mikael Nyqvist

Trailer for The Man With All The Marbles where Lukas won Best supporting actor at LA movie award 2010. You can see the whole short here (no subtitles I’m afraid)

Chris Gardner - Film

November 21, 2010

Stockholm Film Festival is full of Swedes. Is that odd?

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The very prestige bronze horse. Only a few get to go home with this little pony. Photo: Daniel Rohlin

The Stockholm Film Festival is now up and running, and is looking better than ever. This year Sweden’s biggest film festival is graced with the presence of no other than Holly Hunter. She’ll be the head of the jury this year.

When she arrived at Norrmalmstorg square in Stockholm the other day the street was lined with people holding torches. This greeting of fire was very much appreciated as you can see in the Youtube clip below. If you are in Stockholm now on Saturday and want to see Holly Hunter you can buy a ticket to her Face2Face here. I highly recommend it to everybody that loves cinema.

This year’s festival is packed with fantastic film. Some of the highlights are Shanghai, by the Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström, and Shelter by the Swedish duo Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein. They debuted 2005 in Sweden with Storm. A film that really showed that Swedish cinema is on a new wave of filmmaking. That they then ran to Hollywood is kind of funny but who can blame them? The boys in Hollywood have bigger and more expensive toys.

The festival will also hold the world premiere of the film Four More Years (Fyra år till) by Tova Magnusson-Norling, who did the critically acclaimed film The Girl (Flickan) last year. The much beloved actor Björn Kjellman plays the lead. IMDB had a great description of what the film is about:

Political party leader David Holst, one of Sweden’s most popular politicians, is handsome, funny, popular and predicted as the country’s next prime minister. But what at first appears to be an easy victory turns into a grueling defeat as another party wins the elections and four years of leading the country, When David suddenly falls in love, the problem is not that he’s already married or that he’s fallen in love with another man. The problem is that the man he’s fallen head over heels in love with, Martin, is the only man on earth he can’t love. He is the Secretary of State for the rivaling country that won the elections.

Trailer to Four More Years (no subtitles sadly enough)

Tickets and all the films that will be screening at the festival can be found here.

P.S. Did I mention that Gus Van Sant will be present at this year’s festival? No? Well now I have.

Chris Gardner - Film

November 18, 2010

Short films – Make them, all the cool kids are doing it

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Claes, a man fighting his inner jail. Photo: Martina Carlstedt

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s Interview Man. Fighting films, one question at a time. Well maybe I’m not that bad but every time I get invited to a screening I immediately need to fire a couple of questions at the people involved. Yes, I’m weird that way and friends stop inviting me to things but it’s totally worth it. This just gives me more time to watch films.

The other day I got invited to the first screening of a short film called Claes, directed by Martina Carlstedt. She’s currently studying documentary filmmaking at the University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre (Dramatiska Institutet) and this is her latest baby.

Reality often outperform fiction says filmmaker Martina Carlstedt. Photo:Martina Carlstedt

Since visiting Uppsala Short Film Festival I’ve gotten completely hooked on shorts. I get really inspired excited by good short films and I have to say that the Uppsala festival really missed a great one because after Claes I felt like going home and paint a Jackson Pollock.

First off I want to say thank you for the screening. You and your producer, Geir Hansteen Jörgensen, were great hosts and the film was fantastic. A simple film with a huge heart that managed to catch the complex life of an old man with a fear of leaving his front door. Would this be a good way of describing the film?

Yes that is a good way of describing it. But it is also a film about fighting fears. Fears that sometimes creates an inner jail. It also highlights what lonesomeness and isolation can do to a person.

Tell me a little about the film Claes. How did it come to life?

I knew Claes when I was a little child. He was almost like a step-dad to me, a very kind, loving and social person. But when i was 6 years old he moved away and we didn’t have any contact for over 18 years. Last year I was in Gothenburg with another film project and decided to visit Claes where he lives nowadays. When I realized how he changed since i was a child, and what kind of isolated life he lives, I got very affected and sad. But I also felt his need of talking to someone about his situation. So i started filming him, without any intention of what i was gonna do with the material. His brutal honest way of describing his fears and angst in life made me feel that i had to do a film about him.

How come you decided on focusing on the genre of documentary? Is it a genre you enjoy more then others?

To me documentary and fiction have the same purpose. To tell a story that affects people in one way or another  and hopefully make people reflect a little bit differently on their own life or the world that we live in. But what I’ve experienced is that the reality often outperform fiction and I often find the stories I want to tell in my surroundings, in my reality as I see it.

Tell us a little bit about the process, how has it been? Has it been a struggle? A labor of love?

The process of making this film was really hard from time to time. It’s hard to be close to a person who is suffering. I wanted to understand his inner conflicts and isolation. This affected me mentally more then I could have imagined. I reflected a lot on my life during this process and filming claes was a bit like  therapy for me and him. I felt like Claes looked at the camera as someone who finally listened to him.

How do you feel now when you’ve released Claes into the world? Nervous, excited, sad?

I feel both nervous and excited. The most important for me was that Claes felt OK with me doing this film. He has seen it and feels good about it. Now i just hope that people will see it and hopefully gain something.

Since Uppsala Short Film Festival has already been this year, are there plans on next year? Have you sent it to any other festivals?

I’ll try to send it to Uppsala next year. Now we’ll see if Gothenburgs Film Festival and the documentary film festival Tempo wants a piece of it.

Chris Gardner - Film

November 14, 2010

Darth Vader, Indiana Jones and Jesus Christ share one thing, Pernilla August

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An acting force to be reckoned with, Pernilla August. Photo: Mattias Ahlm/SR

The other day I went to another Q&A at Cinemateket. Remembering how interesting it was last time I made damn sure that I was going to grab a good seat for this one. Pernilla August is a Swedish acting legend. She’s the only one in the world that can say that she’s been Darth Vader’s mom, the mother of Indiana Jones and the mother of Jesus Christ. In 1992 she won the Best Actress award at Cannes Film Festival for her role in Bille August’s film, Best Intentions (Den goda viljan).

It’s very easy getting carried away when talking about the lovely Pernilla August because she truly has done so much impressive work. She’s done countless of plays including Hamlet and worked with most of the greats of Swedish directors. We’re talking Roy Andersson, Bo Widerberg and no other than Ingmar Bergman.

Now it’s her turn. She came to this Inside the Actors Studio inspired conversation with not only her smile and knowledge. She also brought her debut film as a director, Beyond (Svinalängorna). This film hasn’t premiered yet but has already picked up a lot of festival awards around the world including the Foreign Press Award in Hamburg and a Critics Award in Venice and now after seeing it I understand why.

Beyond is a really heavy drama about family with the soon to be Hollywood Noomi Rapace in the lead. The film is about a woman that finds out that her mother is dying but due to an upbringing where abuse and alcoholism was a daily thing she thinks she can just ignore it and go on with her life. Her husbands pushes her to go see her mom and soon all emotions come pouring out and her history that she has kept secret from her husband surfaces.

You can see what I mean about heavy, right? This is not a film you go see on a Saturday night with a date. You’ll be lucky if you even get a kiss. You’ll be too busy handing her tissues for tears. One thing Pernilla August has without a doubt picked up from her work in films is her composition. Every scene is very nicely framed and shot. The acting is just fantastic. Noomi Rapace really shows why she’s going to Hollywood and even the kid actors in this film are amazing.

The music however threw me off a little and there’s a little to much talking for me to really love it straight through. However, this wouldn’t stop me from going to see it again and as a debut film it’s scary how well made it is so bravo Pernilla August. Beyond hits Swedish movie theaters the 10th of December.

Chris Gardner - Film

November 13, 2010

A chat with one of the producers of Simple Simon

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A face to the name. Photo: Bonnie Skoog Feeney

Ask anybody in the film business about the difficulty of making a film. For some it’s easy. Well, not easy but easy:ish perhaps. For others it’s like splitting an atom with a cheese slicer.

A few years back when I went to film school I met this friend. Her name is Bonnie Skoog Feeney and focused on the producer part of film making. After doing very well, resulting in some great films she moved on. Apparently the grass was greener on the other side because she quickly got very well known for her hard work and passion and then puff, she was gone. The film business had adopted her.

Then one day I decided to go to the movie theater. I had heard so much great things about a film called Simple Simon (I rymden finns inga känslor). I enjoyed it so much I had to write about it early on in this blog. However, during the end credits I saw a very interesting name pop up under producer, Bonnie Skoog Feeney.

She has since then been very busy, flying all over the world to promote Sweden’s candidate for Best Foreign Film for the upcoming Academy Awards. I managed to quickly squeeze in a little Q&A with her so I hope you enjoy.

What got you started in producing? Was it a childhood dream or just something you found interesting and tried it out?

It actually was a childhood dream. I saw Apocalypse Now when I was around nine and was completely spellbound (and of course extremely shocked and had nightmares…).
I remember thinking that it was amazing that something could capture me in that way and make me sit still and not think of anything else for over two hours. From then on I decided that I wanted to be a producer, not knowing what it was, but knowing it was one of the big names in the credits. After trying the different professions in film making, it turned out that producing fit me very well.

What people in the industry inspire you? Anybody in Sweden?

People that work hard and are passionate about what they do inspire me in general, but then there are a couple of people who are also successful and positive which is a mix of qualities that few master. I could make this list long but I’ll mention two very different producers that I find inspiring.

Pete Possne at Sonet, because he is one of the few people in the Swedish film industry that spends more time talking about why something is good rather than bad. There are a lot of qualities that I admire about him, but this one is the most admirable for a successful Swede.

Then I would like to mention Mimmie Spång at Garage Film. The films she produces are not huge box office successes, but rather critical successes, huge films with important messages. I find it so admirable that she fights for these films and takes risks because she believes in her projects.

The Swedish poster for Simple Simon and even if you can't read Swedish you can see that this film has gotten more love then Oprah.

I am very proud of Simple Simon (I rymden finns inga känslor). It is the first feature I produced and it will always be special to me. The film was made with a small budget and came out of “nowhere” and took everyone by surprise. Also I’m proud of the graduation film that we made at Stockholm Film School. I produced and wrote the script together with Max S. Lauritzen and what makes me proud is that I was able to write something from the beginning to end. I’ve started to write so many things, but never had enough patience to finish. The script actually turned out pretty good, don’t know how much that had to do with me though.

What is your dream project? What director, writer and actors would be involved?

I thought of making up an answer about a great dream project…but I actually don’t have one. I guess that’s kind of odd, but I’m too inpatient, the thought of having a project lingering in the future would drive me mad, I want everything done yesterday. I do however have a story idea that I guess you could call a dream project and is a Swedish/American production.

If you only had to watch one film over and over again for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

Such a difficult question, but I think it would be “Lost in translation”. It’s not only a film that I love, but it has a tone that I think could be tolerable over and over and over again.

I’m sorry but I feel in the mood to honor Mr. James Lipton. What turns you on?

People that surprise me.

What turns you off?

The Swedish “Jante Law”. Nothing turns me off more than that, that and when life is predictable.

And finally, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

I would like him to look at me, knowing I’m in the wrong place, but then let me in with a smile and say: You’re extremely late.

Chris Gardner - Film

November 10, 2010