Masjävlar

This is the best movie I've ever seen!

Maybe it's because I live just a few miles from the village were the story take place, and I know how things work out in this area in Sweden. The movie tells the truth, believe me! It both criticizes and honors the lifestyle of Dalarna, and the producer wants people who watch the movie to be more opened minded and care more for your closest friends and relatives.

But if you live in another small village anywhere in Sweden (or another country) you will probably also recognize much from this movie.

Thank you Maria Blom!

Maria Blom's 'Masjävlar' shows a slice of life at a small Swedish town. The dysfunctional family theme as presented here isn't anything new and the film does tend to border on clichés at times but there's a sincerity with which Blom tells her story. For example, all the scenes of Mia finding herself a stranger in her own home town while at the same time making judgements about others and as it would turn out, no one is who she thought them to be, are narrated very well. Anyone who has returned to their hometown after a very long time will be able to relate to those scenes.

The subtle performance by lead actress Sofia Helin is also very effective and brings out the depth of Mia making her struggle more convincing. Kajsa Ernst and Ann Petren are equally wonderful as the two older sisters who couldn't be any more different. The rest of the cast do a fine job bringing in some humour.

The execution is quite ordinary but the pleasant snowy Swedish landscape is refreshing to look at. The soundtrack is used smoothely. The birthday party track especially stands out as it's filmed beautifully and so many things happen in that scene, both on the surface and within the characters (portrayed very well by the actors).

'Masjävlar' may not be one of its kind and even though it tells a familiar story that has been witnessed various times on screen, there is a freshness about the way its treated and told.

The tighter the drama, the better the film of sister rivalry! This little gem was mainly promoted as a comedy upon its release in Sweden, so I'm glad to find that wasn't the whole case. Funny bits on small-town bickering are there to enjoy, surely, but the drama takes center stage, as the story progresses. And not just family drama, it also raises poignant questions on respecting differences of peoples' lifestyle choices.

Great character ensemble with many superb and moving dramatic scenes that score credibility points; and they're not just scattershot, but hold everything in place. It just makes me assume that if Ingmar Bergman had made this (the drama would suit him!), the international attention probably would have been immediate.

7 out of 10 from Ozjeppe.

Comedy at all. Tagged this movie as a comedy is as ridiculous as branding a horror genre movie and tagged it also as a comedy. Sophia Helin looked like the younger sister of the late great actress Maria Schell, and she has proved herself a very talented one just like Ms. Schell. I just love to watch both.

This movie is a very traditional Scandinavian movie, but I was a bit putting off by those female characters in it; too many and so many, blabbering all the time, even they acted so naturally. The plot and the scenario are also too common almost in many similar movies from different countries. If you are a male viewer like me, you might need some patience to sit it through to the end, or you might not be able to resist not to use 'Fast Forward" to skip those blah, blah and blah scenes.

I saw this at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Hard to believe this is Ms. Blom's directorial debut, it is beautifully paced and performed. Large cast of characters could be out of an Anne Tyler novel, i.e. they are layered with back story and potential futures, there are no false notes, surprising bursts of humor amidst self-inflicted anxiety and very real if not earth-shattering dilemmas. If you saw "The Best of Youth," you will recognize how well drawn the characters are through small moments, even as the story moves briskly along. I really hope this gets distribution in the USA. I live in a fairly sophisticated film market, yet we rarely get Swedish films of any kind.