Apflickorna

Lisa Aschen's film 'She Monkeys' is a tenderly observed account of two teenagers (and one younger girl) struggling with the pains of growing up, trying to be selected for a team of equestrian gymnasts. It's subtle, and leaves the inner workings of its protagonists' minds to the viewer's own understanding. The low budget is apparent in the relative absence, given the subject matter, of horses; but it doesn't mean that there isn't some skill in the acting, directing and writing. However, the plot doesn't really go anywhere, and the whole drama feels more like the prelude to another, more forceful story that doesn't actually happen.

I have had some level of expectations from this film after reading a description and its plot seemed to be quite interesting. However all has turned into a quite drowsy film with slow action which was promised to be very different. Instead of emotional and passionate relation and even more ardent rivalry with complex scheme of mutual interactions we get a snail-paced development of the plot and two teens who are way too introvertic and timid to be truly passionate in anything. I didn't see here any hard situations with rivalry and any difficult situations, misunderstandings etc. caused by that. For sure not at the level it was expected (and promised) from the beginning. That story could have been interesting if had been directed in more clever and especially emotional way to reveal true passion if two lovers mixed with success & accolade rivalry. If I wanna see passion plus rivalry which leads to obsession I play movies like "Whiplash" or "Prestige".

Watching this film I was reminded of a hard-to-define need for ethical treatment of characters and issues in a film. By that I don't mean films can't describe ethically challenging or ambivalent situations, they should. But there should be a sense of commitment to the characters and the issues. This film was lacking in that. As a result, it felt pointless and disturbing.

The plot centers around two teenage girls who are competing in the sport that consists of doing gymnastics on top of a galloping horse. One, two, three girls on a single horse running in circles to the sound of a whiplash. I would like to see this sport, which completely seems to forget the horse is sentient, forgotten. The film could have used it as a metaphor, but I don't think it did. I think the horse was ignored in the meta level as well. This is the kind of lack of commitment I mean.

Harrowing things happen to the teenage girls and a seven-year-old little sister. The viewer is presented with hardly any tools to understand them or care for them. Thus, it feels they are left alone. There is one illuminating scene though: Cassandra asks Emma what she wants (a question misplaced, as it seems to be Cassandra at that moment who is acting out of unclear desires) and Emma replies "I want to be like I was before".

As far as I can tell, there is nothing wrong with the acting or the technical work of the crew.

Lisa Aschan is a director rookie and this is really promising.

Two young girls are training voltige, the kind of competition there you make acrobatic moves on a horse's back. They have a relation, complete with hot feelings and jealousy, but without sex. It's a power struggle, but most of all it's a power struggle within one of the girls. Does she want control or life? You can't say.

Great feeling for what the camera can express here. Great cuts, great rhythm. The story is however not so uncommon as we are expected to believe. The quality lies in what the lens registrates. And there will hopefully be much more to come from this director.

Alright, the DVD cover has actress Mathilda Paradeiser standing and holding a gun, which pretty much Sells the movie on a wrong Foundation. Sure there was a gun in the movie, but it wasn't a particularly big part of the story or the movie that it should be included on the movie cover.

While the acting of Mathilda Paradeiser (playing Emma) and Linda Molin (playing Cassandra) was quite good and nicely carried the movie, then they were not able to save the awful script and storyline. It was as if director Lisa Aschan was abruptly cut short before having the chance to tie the ends together and actually make this a coherent and interesting story.

"Apflickorna", its original Swedish title, is unfathomably slow paced and took an hour and twenty-four minutes to tell almost nothing. There is a sort of beaten down and depressing sensation all throughout the entire movie, which in itself was a good achievement in setting the mood.

It was a struggle to get through this movie, and the constant hope of it picking up pace and becoming entertaining just never rooted and took place.

Now watched, this movie will be put on the shelf to gather dust and slowly fade into oblivion.