Farväl Falkenberg

This memorable, visually unique, and sometimes very emotional story of a group of young friends whose lives implode after their schooling ends ranked among the top 3 films of the 15 or so I saw at the Toronto Film Festival. Unfortunately, the combination of $20 ticket prices and a 1 (out of 5) rating given this film by the major Toronto free weekly paper resulted in relatively few audience members taking a chance on the work of a first-time director. Moreover, I will say that this is not a film for everyone, and that there were a fair number of walk-outs at the screening I saw.

All that said, I think those who appreciate films that approach storytelling from a truly cinematic perspective -- that is, where the shots, the editing, the sound design, and the music tell the story as much as the action and dialogue do -- will find a lot to love here. As others have noted, this film did share some aesthetic elements with the last few (excellent) features by Gus van Sant (Elephant, Gerry, and Last Days), but it mixes this feeling with some of the contagious warmth, humor, and genuine emotional impact of Lucas Moodysson's Together (2000).

I think that whoever gave this film that (fatal) 1-star rating in Toronto must have popped in a screener tape, seen a lot of out-of-work young people goofing around and cracking some coarse jokes, and then tuned out at about the ten minute mark, writing this one off as yet another debut filmmaker mining the "slacker" genre for low-grade yux -- admittedly an unappealing prospect. But there's so much more at work here, and those who stay engaged in the film will be rewarded with unconventional but emotionally honest (and first-rate!) storytelling.

Small towns in Sweden are safe and clean, not necessarily rural, but perhaps not as stimulating as the Big City. Here we follow some kids in a small town, Falkenberg and their angst about adulthood and the world. What I like about "Farväl..." is its directness. It isn't trying to be smart or deliver puns, but just shows what life was like in Falkenberg, for the people that have made the film. They are also playing more or less themselves, I understand.

The kids portrayed are without any real sense of purpose in their lives, but at the same time quite comfortable, and with deep friendships. Adults are depicted pretty much as half-dead bores, and in juvenile narcissistic manner, adulthood indeed seems akin to dying.

I think that the "twist" that provides the only real drama of the film is a bit adolescent, but perhaps its just a traditional "hero mythology", with the hero sacrificing himself so that others may live. An effort could have been made to drive home a few more points though, now you kind of wonder if the film-makers have bothered to take a step back to seriously consider what they want to say. Politics are kind of absent, except in a very small comment on the separation of girls and boys into different groups.

Swedish small town blues have been the subject of films before, in e.g. "Fucking Åmål" and "Masjävlar", but never in quite this naked way, I think. "Gitarrmongot" I guess comes closest in terms of the tone of the movie. Not exactly entertaining in the traditional sense, but gripping, and I am glad that the film was made.

I watched this without any expectations and was drawn in after some time. It has a very special vibe that I think might resonate more with people sharing the childhood-friendship-from-a-small-place-thing. The acting is effortless and makes the movie natural in the sense that you're tagging along a group and their conversations without really watching a film.

Don't expect a classic movies-movie if you know what I mean, this is more an artsy way of telling a story, and in contrast with another review I didn't find it artsy in a pretentious way at all. There's a lot of heart going in to this film and it touches upon the unspoken things under the surface, the frustrations of coming back where nothing moves forward and the comfort from the same phenomenon. A special film that left me feeling a little unease in a good way, looking back on life and reflecting on relationships in general.

As is said in another comment you can not be told whether you will like this film or not. You need to have something in your past or present that helps you enter this group and understand or feel the things that are left unspoken... and that is much. But if you have that, this film is rewarding, tragic, beautiful and painful. Very good!

The minimal form of the film is perfect for the on the surface minimal story. But as any minimal art the content is there, but you will need to do at least half of the work of finding it. I enjoy that kind of film, and since I am able to relate to the story a great deal, this film was perfect for me!

I saw recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International film Festival and I can't believe that this is Sweden's official submission to the 79th Academy Awards to be considered for best foreign film. Producer Anna Anthony last year also had Sweden's official submission for best foreign film with Zozo. I wasn't personally a fan of Zozo but at least it had some production value to it. This could have been shot as a high school film project. As a short film it may have worked but as a feature film it is as lost as it's characters. This is a story about five twenty something friends who live in a small Swedish town and have no goals or hopes or ambitions for the future and like to live in the past of their long gone childhood. Actually Falkenberg isn't like some remote northern Swedish village. It's a popular summer resort with a population of city and townships of almost 40,000 and lies between two major southern coastal Swedish cities of Götborg and Malmo. The characters are likable enough guys but if they were high school age kids with a bleak or confused attitude about what they plan to do with their lives I would undoubtedly care about them more. They are however long past the point where they should be making plans to deal with adulthood. If they want to stay in Falkenberg forever than certainly there must be some jobs in the tourist or fishing industry instead of just riding bicycles, drinking, smoking pot and occasionally painting a house. Maybe if they hung around with a girl or two in their circle of friends, of which girls are absent from this film altogether which doesn't make sense. Jesper Ganslandt makes his directorial debut and co wrote the film along with the cinematographer, of which I use the term loosely, Fredrik Wenzel. the acting isn't too bad. I would give this a 4.5 out of 10 but despite it's submission for consideration for the Academy Awards I would not recommend it.