Nasty Old People

There was nothing good on television when I stumbled upon this movie. I quickly checked IMDb to see what rating it had and if it was worth watching, and the kinda high rating made me decide to give it a try.

At first the movie is OK and sometimes funny (when she describes the old people), but later it gets really confusing and most of all uninteresting. You just see the same thing over and over again: she goes to her old people, some Nazi gatherings, sees her boyfriend and her roommate.

The movie is very slow and there's almost no progress. The result is that it's a really boring film.

I'm not sure where I first saw links for this movie on the internet. It's the second movie that I've downloaded for free, the first being "Sita Sings the Blues" which wasn't nearly as good as this movie. I finally got around to watching it over the weekend, and was surprised at the quality of the film and of the story. This is as good as any drama I've seen, good story, good acting, and good quality across the board. This is a Swedish film, with the spoken language in Swedish. I played it with English subtitles, but really, Swedish isn't that far from German or English that the subtitles almost disappear.

The film is about what appears to be an average looking 19 year old girl, living in an average apartment. Right away, she reveals she is a Nazi (not a spoiler, this fact is known in the previews), and things get complicated in a hurry. The depiction of the "nasty old people" that she cares for and her interaction with them is well acted, and filmed with great attention to detail.

This is not a movie I would have bothered to go see at the theater, at least, not from the little bit I knew about it in advance. After having seen the movie once, I'm thinking I'll see it again. I'm glad it was available for download, as I doubt I'd seen it otherwise, and it really is worth seeing. One other thing about having the movie as an internet download that you can't do with a DVD -- I can fix the two typos I saw in the subtitles myself.

"Everybody loves me." This is how Mette introduces herself to the viewer, while she is taking a bubble bath and playing with a cute little frog squeaky-squeeze bathtub toy. The camera provides close-ups of her pretty face and expressive eyes, as it frequently does throughout the movie. The very large swastika tattooed on her right shoulder is not visible, so we do not immediately see what she soon confesses: that she had become a Nazi when she was 13 years old (but what that means to these young Swedes is not clear). And we all have good reasons to hate Nazis, right? So how can someone, anyone, love her? She is butch, wears boots and frumpy masculine work clothes, and walks like a husky man. But her voice is sweet and feminine, and she is rather beautiful. She is a Nazi, but she cares for very difficult and obnoxious old people with patience, humor, and compassion. In fact, she seems to welcome the extreme cases that other care workers do not want to touch. Mette is evolving. Her new family of "nasty old people" is gradually replacing her old family of nasty young Nazis.

Mette is an enigma, a conundrum. Some might wish at first to categorize her with an epithet: "dyke!" And indeed, Mette is living with a very pretty young woman, a fellow Nazi, who idolizes Mette's strength and self-assurance. But we later see that Mette is able to tentatively establish a romantic relationship with a bearded gardener (whose arm she earlier injured in a brutal stomping in defense of her pretty partner). She seems generally wary and unsure of her own sexual inclinations.

"Nasty Old People" depends upon character much more than plot. Indeed, while the plot has some weak moments, the characters are vividly realized, and some are unforgettable. In addition to Mette, the four "nasty old people" that become her "family" are all brilliantly brought to life by the director and the actors. And, of course, Febe Nilsson as Mette is triumphant.

"Everybody loves me." And perhaps, by the end of the film, you may love Mette also. Or at least you will probably like and respect her. Hanna Sköld, thanks for the unforgettable characters. You've made a very fine movie, and I am looking forward to your future projects!

This is the first time in my life that I can download a movie before it hits the theaters, but thats another story...

I was really surprised by the magic of this independent movie. Besides the captivating story behind the scenes, this movie is made with a lot of talent.

The story talks about Mette, a 19 year old nazi who works for the home service and has to take care of the most problematic and crazy oldies in her town. The story talks about how through their relation the "Nasty Old People" and Mette start learning from one another which creates a powerful bond among them...

If you like tales that leave a half smile in your face, thats definitely your movie! Enjoy