I debated whether or not to see this movie, I thought it was a typical Swedish "Nordic Noir" crime drama. It was not. To my surprise this movie completely captivated me.
Trying to explain this movie is difficult. I suspect it's the kind of movie you either love, or you don't. If you appreciate artistic license and a bit of surrealism, like I do, you might thoroughly enjoy this movie. If you need everything to be factual and believable, you probably won't.
It beautifully mixes a rather tragic story with hope and dreams. Some things, characters or views might seem a bit simple or childish, but remember this is a story told through a girl growing up. There's a beauty in that, in the dreams, the beliefs - and the filmmakers capture this in a excellent way. Many movies try to mix surreal with reality, but few gets it right, not to mention executes it with this kind of great imagery. I adore a good bedtime story, and I loved the one this movie uses as a red thread.
It's a warm tale consisting of every emotion known to man. It's not about a certain time period, an agenda or like anything I've seen before. It's a story, about people, about life and about relationships of every kind. It lets you dream, think, relate, escape and wonder.
I thoroughly and utterly adored this movie.
