A teacher who witnesses a colleague strike a pupil gets ostracized by the other teachers. The elderly host at a posh party is injured but refuses to have medical attention. A stout bus driver refuses to go on driving unless the one who vandalized his bus steps forward. Two young teen girls go on a drunken, out of control-spree with friends. An all-male party weekend in the country has unexpected sexual repercussions... Five very different Swedish stories with one big common denominator: peer pressure and the situations it puts people in.
Sad, on-target and all-too credible snapshots of social awkwardness & spinelessness, male pride and an equally sad alcohol culture. Major asset is the refreshing, semi-documentary-style ensemble acting, which makes me ask: why can't all Swedish movies have such seamless, perfectly and naturally performed dialog all the time? Too bad it's yet another case of finely written (and carefully photographed - often Roy Andersson-static - leaving details out of shot) little stories that don't get the development or resolution they deserve - we never get to know some characters enough to care (like the old man who gets a piece of fireworks in his eye), which proves that this movie easily could've been even stronger with 20 more minutes or so!
6 out of 10 from Ozjeppe
Sad, on-target and all-too credible snapshots of social awkwardness & spinelessness, male pride and an equally sad alcohol culture. Major asset is the refreshing, semi-documentary-style ensemble acting, which makes me ask: why can't all Swedish movies have such seamless, perfectly and naturally performed dialog all the time? Too bad it's yet another case of finely written (and carefully photographed - often Roy Andersson-static - leaving details out of shot) little stories that don't get the development or resolution they deserve - we never get to know some characters enough to care (like the old man who gets a piece of fireworks in his eye), which proves that this movie easily could've been even stronger with 20 more minutes or so!
6 out of 10 from Ozjeppe