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Turist (2014) - Review in english

Winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, nominated for best foreign language film at the 2015 Golden Globe Awards and nominated (making the early round of shortlist, but was not a nominee) as best foreign language film at 2015 Oscar Awards, the Swedish movie Turist (original title) or Force Majeure (in English) accompanies the emotional drama involving a Swedish family in holiday in the French Alps after an incident with an avalanche.

The story revolves around the couple Tomas (played by Johannes Kuhnke, known for Arven - The Inheritance - 2003) and Ebba (starring Lisa Loven Kongsli, acted in Engelen - The Angel - 2009) and their two sons, Harry and Vera (played by brothers Vicent Wettergren and Clara Wettergren, respectively), which spend the holidays skiing in the French Alps. Everything went well until a controlled avalanche surprised the tourists and the family, who was having lunch in the open air restaurant in the ski station. At the beginning the snow sliding down the mountain does not seem dangerous, but the phenomenon intensifies, provoking a momentary terror among people. The different reactions of Tomas and Ebba facing the imminent danger end up bringing much more devastating consequences than the effect of the avalanche itself. While he rushes out to save his own life, she stays in the place to protect the children.

The writer-director Ruben Östlund (known for De Ofrivilliga - Involuntary - 2008 and Play - 2011) portrays in a dense and deeply way the moral and psychological drama in which the characters are exposed in the plot, addressing sexuality, gender roles in the core family, marital conflicts and social conventions. The man is seen in society as strong and protective, while the woman is sentimental and dependent. There are a number of mechanisms to support these conventions, being problematized and investigated in the course of the film.

Fredrik Wenzel is responsible for picture quality that brings an alpine setting and a series of stunning images. Fixed plans, especially the avalanche scene, and open shots were made with mastery. In contrast to the cold, white and melancholy landscape, human interactions overflow life, being abundant in emotions in discussion scenes. The influence of this hostile environment in the lives of the characters is striking. Day after day we see the different moods of the family members and their emotional consequences, which are accentuated by the soundtrack of intense violin solos. Here it is worth mentioning the excellent performance of the main actors, Lisa and Johannes.

Force Majeure also promotes a reflection on the human behavior in modern society. There is a image confrontation of who we are in the privacy and what we appear to be in social life. Facebook and Instagram are filled with pictures of moments of happiness and success in a frantic search to show that we live a life of perfection. But life is full of imperfections and what defines and distinguishes us is how we deal with them.

The appearance is richer than reality? To which extent people show who they really are to the world, including closer people and intimates? The image we have of ourselves is the same seen from the look of the other? In extreme and high stress situations would we act according to our ethical and moral values or the animal instinct would prevail? These are some of the questions that Force Majeure leaves to reflection.

Original title: Turist

English title: Force Majeure
Director: Ruben Östlund
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2121382/

Trailer with some spoilers:

Scandinavia always surprises us with different movies and with very peculiar storylines. Based on the bestseller book by Fredrik Backman, En Man som Heter Ove (original title), or A Man Called Ove (in english), tells the story of Ove, an old grumpy widower, 59 year old, who despite having been deposed some years before as president of the residents association continues to watch over his suburban neighborhood with an iron fist. Depressed, lonely and tired of the monotony of everyday life, Ove is a picture of a person who has given up everything, including himself. Stubborn, moody, with firm beliefs and rigid routines, his approach to life and negative view of the world are put to the test when a new family moves into the house across the street.

To talk about old age and its dilemmas has never been an easy task, both in real life and on the big screen. Sometimes it seems that society wants to avoid or forget it, as if it was a distant drama to which we will never live or witness. Thus, it is common that actors with advanced age only interpret supporting characters, with roles that are far from the narrative's focus. However, when they had the opportunity to star in the leading role, they gave birth to great characters and great films. Among them are: Make Way for Tomorrow (1937), Umberto D. (1952), Ikiru - To Live (1952), Smultronstället - Wild Strawberries (1957), Cocoon (1985), Börn Náttúrunnar - Children of Nature (1991), Grumpy Old Men (1993), The Straight Story (1999), Elsa y Fred - Elsa & Fred (2005), Gran Torino (2008), Amour (2012), Nebraska (2013), 45 Years (2015) and the animation Up (2009).

With a sincere, poetic and humorous story, the swedish writer-director Hannes Holm (known for Adam & Eve - 1999, Klassfesten - The Reunion - 2002 and Himlen är Oskyldigt Blå - Behind Blue Skies - 2010) addresses a sensitive issue in a subtle way. Humor is one of the key parts used in the process, being present at various times throughout the film. But we are also exposed to sad and tough situations as the story unfolds.

The action takes place both in the present and in the past. At first we are introduced to the older version of Ove, played by Rolf Lassgård (known for Jägarna - The Hunters - 1996, Under Solen - Under the Sun - 1998 and Efter brylluppet - After the Wedding - 2006). From the first impressions we encounter a guy who is rough, irritating, without kindness and also is the terror of his suburban neighborhood. He daily patrol the streets and sidewalks in search for irregularities and breaches of rules, which must be followed rigorously. Subsequently, through the use of flashbacks, we are introduced to his child version (Viktor Baagøe) and younger version (Filip Berg, known for Ondskan - Evil - 2003 and Odödliga - Eternal Summer - 2015). Thus, gradually, his past is revealed, explaining his current behavior, which makes us reflect and reassess our views on the main character.

The film deals with current concepts and issues such as immigration, globalization and changing values over generations. Parvaneh, played by Bahar Pars (she acted in När Mörkret Faller - When Darkness Falls - 2006), has Persian origin and is the woman of the family who moves into the house in front of the protagonist. Contrasting with Ove's personality, she is passionate and opinionated, being responsible for bringing heat to the protagonist's cold relations. Parvaneh portrays the case of so many other refugees who emigrate to European countries in search of a better life.

The identification of the main character with the cars of Saab and the consequent dispute with the cars of Volvo, originally two Swedish brands, represents the nationalism. Ove was from a time when the products (consumer goods) were made within the country. Today, with global value chains and the internationalization of the economy, the goods have no borders and brands have become global. Half of Saab was bought by General Motors in 1990 and the remainder in 2000. In 2012 the company was purchased by China National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB. As for Volvo, in 1999 it was sold to Ford Motor Company. In 2010, Ford agreed to sell Volvo to the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holdin Group.

Ove, as a small-town boy, lived in a different type of Sweden and world. Life had a slower pace and independence and manual skills, such as carpentry and mechanics, were more valued. The difficulties of the younger generation are expressed, for example, in the lack of interest and patience to read manuals or in how a simple installation of a washing machine becomes a challenge.

Apart from the excellent performance of Rolf Lassgård in the protagonist's caricatured role, the soundtrack is a treat apart. Engaging, it is captivating in the patrol's moments through the neighborhood and it's sentimental in the drama scenes. All the production work was very well done, from the cameras, photography, to the costume through the ages. Here we have to highlight a weak point in the script and direction. Although the first half of the film is great, as the story develops and its message and meaning are revealed, the director hastens to complete the book's plot and the movie loses some of its strengths in the second half. Some narrative links should have been better developed, as the change experienced by the main character and how the local community see him after that. As a final message Holm points out that life makes more sense when is shared with others. The film had potential to be much more than it was.

Original title: En Man som Heter Ove

English title: A Man Called Ove

Director: Hannes Holm

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4080728/

Lilja 4-ever is a hard film to watch because it shows the raw and naked reality of the world. There is no superhero to save you. The viewer is sure that the world is cruel and inhabited by disgusting men and women. It is portrayed as in the conversation between Rocky and his son in the movie Rocky Balboa (2006): "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life".

The writer and director is the swedish Lukas Moodysson, from Fucking Åmål (Show me Love - 1998) and Tillsammans (Together - 2000). The story chronicles the life of a 16 years old Lilja (Oksana Akinshina), who lives with her mother (Lyubov Agapova) in a poor and dreary suburb somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Lilja is beautiful, rebellious, unexpectedly devout, kneeling always before her favorite photo of an angel with a child, and above all, she is naive. She and her mother would emigrate to the United States with her mother's new husband, but her dreams of a better life crumbles when she finds out that she will be left behind, under the guardianship of her aunt (Lilija Sjinkarjova), to eventually join them later. As the time passes by and she doesn't receive letters or money, there is a feeling that she was abandoned. With no help from her aunt, she is forced to move into a tiny apartment without electricity or heating. Desperate, she receives aid from Volodya (Artyom Bogucharsky), a boy of only 11 years old, her only friend. Disillusioned and broke, the girl meets and falls in love with Andrei (Pavel Ponomarjov), who offers her employment and a chance of a better life in Sweden.

The work of the cameras was made in such a way that even not seeing some scenes we feel and suffer all the hardships aside with the protagonist. Using only the suggestion (the implicit feature that was given) the director reached and impacted the viewer more than if he had used explicit images. We identify ourselves in such a way with the central character that we want to warn her of the dangers in every step she takes towards her ruin. Oksana Akinshina, in the leading role, and Artyom Bogucharsky, in the supporting role, give us an interpretation worthy of take the hat off.

The soundtrack was chosen to intensify the emotions conveyed in the film. It is responsible for giving voice to the characters at different times, expressing the feelings of joy, disappointment, grief, sadness, emptiness, anger, hatred and despair. The song of the german band Rammstein "Mein Herz brennt" (My heart burns), which opens and practically closes the film, causes a strong initial impact, but it's heard with other ears and emotions at the end.

Apart the denunciation of the tragedy that accompanied the lives of millions of people who have been abandoned to a bitter and inhuman life with the end of socialism and the break up of the USSR, in what children are the most vulnerable victims, there is also a criticism about individualism and loss of social values. The state of men without civil society is nothing else but mere war of all against all...