En sång för Martin

It is my understanding that when a man and a woman get married, it is because they love one another and promise to be loyal and faithful. Despite the fact that many marriages are no such thing, it is wonderful to see a film that convinces you that it is possible to love someone so much that no amount of adversity can destroy it.

That is the essence of this film. It is true that we learn a great deal about a horrible disease, but, more importantly, we learn what true love is. The drama in this film really takes place in the mind and the heart of Barbara, the wife. She must face the changes in her life from the joy of finding true love in her life after a difficult marriage to a life of dealing with a sick husband. We see her, painstakingly, deal with change after change and sometimes she breaks down because of the enormity of the challenge.

The second lesson we learn in this film is that love brings a real sense of perseverance. Caring for a sick husband is really no different than caring for a child. A mother normally does not lose her love for the child because he or she acts like a child, but, rather, she perseveres because of pure and simple love.

I do not have sufficient words to express the beauty of this film. It rings true.

A film to learn from - in many, many ways. And a difficult film to watch. It moved me a lot. More shocking than any thriller. It reminds me of my own great fear of getting ill in this way. Or my wife for that matter. Terrible. And must terrible is, that this disease makes you another person - and you can't do anything in order to prevent it - besides living in perfect harmony.

The actors were great. And the music. And the nice pictures from the seaside, where the couple lived.

Just one (big) complain: The symbol in the end is too heavy and spoiling. Her life must go on: she starts the clock again. Come on ...

This was a very real and harrowing film. I went with misgivings since I knew what the subject was about, but fell under the spell cast by director Bille August.

This story rings true from the beginning. The film is a lovely love story between Barbara and Martin, played superbly by Viveka Seldahl and Sven Wottter.

Barbara, obviously is dealt a blow when the Alzheimer is diagnosed but she proceeds to deal with it in her own terms. Little did she know that her marriage to Martin would turn into the nightmare it did. How do you stop loving and doing for that person you thought about spending the rest of your life with?

The Alzheimer turns Martin into a vegetable. His mind is gone. From the brilliant composer and director, he becomes another person completely different from the person we met at the beginning of the film.

Most critics in New York keep comparing this film with Iris. It is very unfair, because obviously all Alzheimers cases are different and don't have to reflect in this case, what went in Iris Murdoch's mind.

I have to give credit to the director, Mr. August, who has not taken the easy approach and documents the progress in a very dignified manner.

All the performances are on key. The extended families of these couple are very strong behind the parents, which is something very rare to find these days.

A story about deep love and how it can overcome any obstacle. Barbara's and Martin's love is put to the test when their doctor diagnose Martin with Alzheimer's disease. For Martin, as a famous composer, it gets more and more difficult to finish an opera due to his sickness, which also strains his relationship with his wife Barbara. Her love and constant reminiscence of their past makes her treat him as fully healthy for much too long.

Both Viveka Seldahl as Barbara and Sven Wollter as Martin are making a wonderful performance in the leading roles. Seldahl is able to use her face the show any kind of expression as the disease turns her beloved husband from a hardworking composer to a bedridden hospital patient. It is nice to finally see her in a leading role. And Wollter is thoroughly credible as the man suffering from a disease that slowly but surely will take his senses from him. We as the audience should ask ourselves if the man finally admitted to hospital is the same man Barbara married. The tragedy of Alzheimer's disease face us with a question if somebody's personality has something innate that will withstand loss of memory or dementia. To Barbara, at least, it is clear that Martin's illness does not change what she feels for her husband: love.

Also worth accolades is the beautiful score by Stefan Nilsson.

Very very nice movie. So nice. Be prepared to cry. But its nice.