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Recycled films & Simon. Not the one as in & Garfunkel

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The line outside the movie theater was stretched about 50 meters.

I’m back! After a couple days of shaking off the festival I’m ready to write again. As I mentioned the other day I went to this event where one of Sweden’s most beloved movie theaters turned 70 years old. To celebrate this SF (Sweden’s largest movie theater chain) gave two previews, unlimited popcorn, candy and soda. Yeah I know. The wet dream of any 15 year old.

I sat down, pretty excited over what films would be previewed. Carnage? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo? Avatar 2? Of course I didn’t think of the fact that I just spent over 10 days at Stockholm Film Festival. Do I need to say more?

Of course SF recycled two of the films that were shown there. We do love our recycling in this country.

The Swedish film Simon and the Oaks was first out, followed by Hysteria. Both good films but come on. Twice in less than a week! Who even changes clothes that often? Oh, you do? Expecting a visit from the Queen are we?

I quickly want to shine some more light on Simon and the Oaks (this is a SWEDISH film blog after all). This is possibly the best looking film to come out of Sweden this year. It looks absolutely gorgeous. The cinematography by Dan Laustsen will carry this film a long way around the world. Dan Laustsen has previously done the cinematography to Hollywood films like The League and Silent Hill.

I would have liked this film soooo much more if it didn’t have a problem with pace. This is a slow film, not a lot of things happen. That’s of course fine. I like films that takes its time. But it also takes way too many freedoms with skipping in the story and it starts a bunch of storylines that never really get to pass the finish line.

Director Lisa Ohlin however saves  a lot of my issues with great directing. Simon and the Oaks has a very nice and innocent feeling to it. Just that is very impressive since the film brings up the poor way a lot of Swedes treated Jews during World War II.

 

Chris Gardner - Film

November 23, 2011