El asesino cándido

Sometimes you watch a movie and you think to yourself "that was a really good movie." And sometimes you watch a movie and you don't have to think that because it was a really good movie. This is one of those movies.

I don't know what I could say in review that would be able to convince you of this movies quality other than simply encouraging you to watch it because I enjoyed it so much. The story sucks you in immediately so there is no need for me to preamble.

This is me hitting minimum characters because I have no more to say: I love Stellan Skarsgård, I love Stellan Skarsgård, I love Stell.

The directing (by Hasse Alfredson) and the cinematography (by Rolf Lindström and Jörgen Persson) are excellent. During the whole movie the audience can hear the bittersweet tones of Verdi's Requiem. Not also the actors makes this movie to a masterpiece. Maria Johansson is brilliant as the lame girl. But the best performance of them all is made by Stellan Skarsgård as Sven - "The Idiot" (because of his harelip). Skarsgård's performance may be the best throughout the whole history of Swedish film.

Sven and the other farmers over the countryside of Skåne, in southern Sweden, have to endure the mental torture from the factory owner in the district, The Evil Man, played by Hasse Alfredson himself. But after enough suffering, Sven gets enough and with the angels of vengeance he walks over the fields to kill The Evil Man, the factory owner. All this to the music of Verdi's Requiem. This scene may be one of the strongest ever throughout the FILM HISTORY. See this movie, but carefully, do not hesitate.

If only the Lumiere brothers could have seen this...

As others have remarked, this may be the best movie to come out of Sweden. It both enrages and soothes, as it follows the oppression and uprising of the main character.

While it covers the tribulations and triumphs of the main characters perfectly, it's about so much more. It has a big heart and reminds you that overcomplicating things can lead us astray, whereas the purity of simplicity is sometimes what we should strive for, and it's a lesson in the corrupt nature of power.

The production may seem plain at first, but you'll soon realize that it's pitch perfect. Unfortunately I didn't see this movie before now - I, like every man, could have done well with the additional ballast that this piece of art provides.

This is indeed Stellan Skarsgård's tour de force, playing Sven the fool. Playing a mentally disabled person is a challenge but Skarsgård manages it with grace, like Leonardo di Caprio in 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'. The movie actually offers quite a few wonderful characterizations from some of the supporting actors as well, like Per Myrberg as the good-hearted farmer, Lars Amble as Bengt the driver or Carl Billquist as the maitre d'. The award for Best Swedish movie of the year was quite well deserved.

I had to get that out - because I for one only got to know him way later in his career and was almost shocked seeing him young. I know I shouldn't be - but I just was. And maybe some other viewers will have the same feeling.

Of course that does not change much about the movie itself (if it does for you that is more than ok too). The drama works and no matter his age we know how good of an actor he is and he is showing it off here too. And he always had range - if you don't know .... well you do know now.

Not easy to stomach at times, maybe you disagree with the scenes that show a different reality (or fantasy or what you want to call it, especially towards the end). Well done on many aspects, but not for everyone.