Sommartider

I don't think I've ever witnessed such an unusual movie experience.

Having low expectations to begin with, I was pleasantly surprised that the overall production was so professional. It looked and sounded good.

But then there was something very wrong. It had a weird and unsettling tone, as if the filmmakers were either mocking us or totally unaware of what they were doing.

Biographical films are dime a dozen these dyas, and its contribution to the genre is unnoticeable. It follows every beat on the way, from presenting the nerdy underdog and his journey to fame and glory. AI meets wikipedia.

But that's not the strange aspect.

Instead, the film has such a naive and dreamlike, almost surreal tone that I was stunned. It evoked some absurd Davud Lynch imagery.

Its main protagonist, the leader singer is portrayed by a good looking newcomer whose appearance and haunting smirk gave me more a feeling of the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. I thought he might start killing of the band members or anybody else who might stop him, to moments later get back on the stage and sing some sweet pop tunes.

I have no idea what the filmmakers intentions were - but wow, that was a weird movie.

Gyllene Tider are Swedish pop culture royalty, right up there with ABBA. Per Gessle is a musical genius, who went on to form Roxette with Marie Fredriksson after Gyllene Tider.

Per Gessle deserves to have his origin story told well and I don't believe it was done with this film, at all.

The actor chosen to play the part of Per is an odd one. His demeanor is strongly feminine and he is projecting strong homosexual vibes. The actor is constantly smiling even during serious scenes, and comes off as very bizarre.

This film is all over the place, and instead of going into depth about anything, it's just one big montage of bits and pieces here and there. Without the music to provide a theme for this film, it would have made absolutely no sense at all.

This is a perfect example of why Swedish people in general prefer not to watch domestic cinema...

Skäms på er! Detta var uruselt. Per Gessle och Gyllene Tider förtjänar bättre.

Never likes the band. I was way more political growing up. Aleays liked punk and Gyllene Tider was so ... well, just innocent and trivial.

But then I realise when I Watch there is a quality. The lead Singer, the front man Per Gessle, is warm and honnest. A sweet kid.

Isn't that nice? The film makes me happy. A lot of postive energy.

Great acting. Overall great production value. The script is superb. Well above par.

Thank you for bringing me back to the good old days, with real cars, no smartphones and most importantly - real music.

Yes, I grew up in the 80s, actually only 5 years younger than the Gyllene Tider crew, and witnessed first hand the joy that the extras acted out in the concert scenes.

This is a well written movie depicting the real struggle musicians had to endure to get noticed back in the day

Both the new and the seasoned actors were all great with some comic relief every now and then, making this a real feelgood experience - with all the greatest hits from the time period

Both I and my wife loved it - so again - thank you for bringing a smile to our faces.

The story of Per Gessle, from the small Swedish town of Halmstad, who conquered the Swedish pop scene with his band Gyllene Tider in the early 1980s before going on to conquer the world with his second band, Roxette, is certainly worthy of the biopic treatment. And the fact that writer/director Per Simonsson seems to have been somewhat inspired by the tone of the brilliant 2022 TV series Clark is by no means to the film's detriment - you immediately get the sense that you're in for a "Joyride", as the film propels forward "Tuff tuff tuff (som ett lokomotiv)". Gyllene Tider emerged as a melody-driven band at the tail end of the punk era, and although their No. 1 hit "Sommartider" may have outstayed its welcome by now, their second album, "Moderna Tider", remains a fine example of early new wave, thanks to Gessle's remarkable talent as a songsmith. What Sommartider does best is represent the band's music with just the right amount of admiration. However, the film has one fundamental flaw: Valdemar Wahlbeck is completely miscast in the lead role as Gessle. His demeanour and energy are nothing like Gessle's and don't do the musician justice. You feel as though you're watching a very mannered, but ultimately inauthentic performance. This also affects Simonsson's recreation of the time period, which is well captured on a surface level, but lacks the wide-eyed naïveté of the era.