Scandinavians keep up producing best children movies. Even when they are not masterpieces there is always something original, unusual that will keep adults' attentions and won't be boring to kids.
This is a borderline fairy tale. There are no witches, monsters, supernatural creatures, magic. There isn't a single bad character. Everything in the plot is realistic and possible. Impossible is only the fact that everything happens just the way movie heroes need. When they need a bus, a bus is waiting. When they need a ferry, old ferry out of use is there with a captain eager to sail. When they want to meet someone they just have to think about him. When Eva's parents land on a desert island she calls them on cellular phone and an empty boat suddenly appears. Everything is available just in the right moment. Almost as in Indiana Jones II. But more funny and less annoying. Everybody loves each other. Parents and other grown-ups (but not seniors) are not bad, they a just too occupied by reality of every day life, so they can hardly understand both children and their own parents. With no villains and with so much love it is probably the most nonviolent movie I've ever seen.. This lack of violence is not so rare in Scandinavian movies, but some people out of Europe and their censors might be offended by some content Europeans probably wouldn't notice. Eva's father doesn't know who his father was; according to his mother he was born after her 3 days long romance, and throughout the movie she is talking a lot about that relation to her 9-year old granddaughter. Nothing disturbing for most, but I've seen R-ratings for less than that.
Many clichés are used, but target audience kids don't have too big knowledge about movies, and not too many movies watched in their life so far, so they won't recognize it. Grown-ups can be amused watching these clichés that often have at least a detail weird changed, even opposite from the rest of scene. Eva and her grandmother are lost in woods, but it's grandmother that wears read cap. Grandmother likes wearing Santa Claus' clothes, but mainly when she's sad. Eva's parents stay out of the gas in the middle of nowhere, but right next to the no-parking traffic sign (so police can react). Some other scenes are also amusing. Eva's mother after her disappearance takes an airport "Follow-Me" van, and as she drives through the town more and more cars follow her in a line.
The biggest cliché is an old grandmother (or sometimes grandfather) looking a bit senile in the beginning, but during the film appearing more and more wise due to life experience, so managing to do what no one (young, with healthy body and brain) can. But in this movie it's not so illogical. This movie is a kind of fairy tale, and children believe in fairy tales, while grandparents create them. A few breezes from twilight zone appear when Jytte (grandmother) remembers her three days of love, and we see scenes that are flashbacks but mixed with reality without a clear boarder.
Music is used a lot, sometimes like in old American musicals (like in Iceland children movie 'Regina' but with a little more logic), but reminds more on Cliff Richard movies from early 60's. It sounds like Eurosong, and I've waited Olsen brothers to sing. Pity, they didn't, but Laid Back did. This fairy tale would deserve better photography and Denmark could offer better landscapes and outdoors scenes. Instead of that, only use of light in ferry and foggy forest made an impression on me.
Finally, and very important: the actors. They all seem to have big fun, a great time. No big acting, but you have to like it. Children in Scandinavian and German family movies usually seem to enjoy what they do. Probably because their parents don't force them expecting to became famous stars like Hollywood parents do, so playing in movies is a game, a joy, as it should be. Many of them don't even appear in movies ever again, but this will stay in their memory as one of their childhood highlights, and not the tough job that was followed by another, and another... So they are free and look as children playing their roles, and not small adults posing because someone told them to.
This is a borderline fairy tale. There are no witches, monsters, supernatural creatures, magic. There isn't a single bad character. Everything in the plot is realistic and possible. Impossible is only the fact that everything happens just the way movie heroes need. When they need a bus, a bus is waiting. When they need a ferry, old ferry out of use is there with a captain eager to sail. When they want to meet someone they just have to think about him. When Eva's parents land on a desert island she calls them on cellular phone and an empty boat suddenly appears. Everything is available just in the right moment. Almost as in Indiana Jones II. But more funny and less annoying. Everybody loves each other. Parents and other grown-ups (but not seniors) are not bad, they a just too occupied by reality of every day life, so they can hardly understand both children and their own parents. With no villains and with so much love it is probably the most nonviolent movie I've ever seen.. This lack of violence is not so rare in Scandinavian movies, but some people out of Europe and their censors might be offended by some content Europeans probably wouldn't notice. Eva's father doesn't know who his father was; according to his mother he was born after her 3 days long romance, and throughout the movie she is talking a lot about that relation to her 9-year old granddaughter. Nothing disturbing for most, but I've seen R-ratings for less than that.
Many clichés are used, but target audience kids don't have too big knowledge about movies, and not too many movies watched in their life so far, so they won't recognize it. Grown-ups can be amused watching these clichés that often have at least a detail weird changed, even opposite from the rest of scene. Eva and her grandmother are lost in woods, but it's grandmother that wears read cap. Grandmother likes wearing Santa Claus' clothes, but mainly when she's sad. Eva's parents stay out of the gas in the middle of nowhere, but right next to the no-parking traffic sign (so police can react). Some other scenes are also amusing. Eva's mother after her disappearance takes an airport "Follow-Me" van, and as she drives through the town more and more cars follow her in a line.
The biggest cliché is an old grandmother (or sometimes grandfather) looking a bit senile in the beginning, but during the film appearing more and more wise due to life experience, so managing to do what no one (young, with healthy body and brain) can. But in this movie it's not so illogical. This movie is a kind of fairy tale, and children believe in fairy tales, while grandparents create them. A few breezes from twilight zone appear when Jytte (grandmother) remembers her three days of love, and we see scenes that are flashbacks but mixed with reality without a clear boarder.
Music is used a lot, sometimes like in old American musicals (like in Iceland children movie 'Regina' but with a little more logic), but reminds more on Cliff Richard movies from early 60's. It sounds like Eurosong, and I've waited Olsen brothers to sing. Pity, they didn't, but Laid Back did. This fairy tale would deserve better photography and Denmark could offer better landscapes and outdoors scenes. Instead of that, only use of light in ferry and foggy forest made an impression on me.
Finally, and very important: the actors. They all seem to have big fun, a great time. No big acting, but you have to like it. Children in Scandinavian and German family movies usually seem to enjoy what they do. Probably because their parents don't force them expecting to became famous stars like Hollywood parents do, so playing in movies is a game, a joy, as it should be. Many of them don't even appear in movies ever again, but this will stay in their memory as one of their childhood highlights, and not the tough job that was followed by another, and another... So they are free and look as children playing their roles, and not small adults posing because someone told them to.
