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Tag archives for Simple Simon

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

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

Ground control to Major Bill. Take your protein pills and get your acting on

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Simon is NOT having a good time. The scene is from Simple Simon. Photo: NIKLAS JOHANSSON

When discussions over the Academy Award comes up, Swedish film isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Actually it’s not even the second. It may be harsh coming from a SWEDISH film blogger and all but it’s the truth. I wish it rained golden statues over Swedish film but we’re not there, yet. However let us not forget that we do have some excellent films that go a long way and actually make it to the red carpet in Hollywood. We just need that extra push, that extra twist and a little more “umph” or panache if you will.

This year Sweden’s contribution to the Academy Awards is Simple Simon or as it’s named in Sweden, I rymden finns inga känslor, which means “In space there aren’t any emotions”. It’s directed by first timer Andreas Öhman. The film is about an 18 year old kid with Asperger’s syndrome. His name is Simon and he lives at home with his parents. On a daily basis he drives them nuts. The reason for this is that he only listens to his older brother. One day they decide that Simon should move in with his older brother and from that moment on, everything changes. Sam, his older brother, gets dumped because she can’t stand Simon. This gives Simon a mission. He needs to find his brother a new girlfriend. Even if he doesn’t want one.

Sorry, no subtitles.

Could this be the film that brings a little golden man back to Sweden? Yes. Will it? No, but I really hope so. This year the foreign films around the world are really top notch so the competition is hard. However, this film has a huge heart. The story is beautiful and you leave the cinema with a smile so big that you actually forget the weaker parts. I wish the acting was a little better and some scenes a little tighter but overall it was a great little film.

Later this week I will be reviewing Behind Blue Skies (Himlen är oskyldigt blå) and the reason for this, other than both being interesting films, is because the actor Bill Skarsgård is one of the leads in both of them. He is the latest in a long line of Skarsgårds to be a success on the silver screen. All of them are good actors so whatever that family is drinking I hope they never stop. Skarsgård is now a stamp of quality, kind of like the IKEA of acting.

No subtitles here either.

Next week like you (should) know is Uppsala Short Film Festival and I will be all over it. I will try seeing as much as possible and share as much as possible here on the blog. Writing what I think of every single film is something I can not do. It would take way to much time and it would end up with me seeing 3 films the entire week. Don’t worry, modern technology is our friend (most of the time) so I will be using Twitter to cover even more of the festival. There I will give quick thoughts and try to be as up to date as humanly possible. You don’t have to have a Twitter account to read it, but it makes it easier to follow.

See you in a few days.

Chris Gardner - Film

October 21, 2010