Les joies de la famille

In a suburb in Sweden, the gay Dr. Göran (Gustaf Skarsgård) and his "husband", the executive Sven (Torkel Petersson) receive a letter informing that they will finally adopt an orphan – Patrik 1,5. They understand that Patrik is a one and half year-old baby and they prepare a room for the baby. However, there is a typo and Patrick (Tom Ljungman) is actually a fifteen year-old homophobic teenager with criminal record.

The gay couple assumes that there is a mistake, but it is Friday afternoon and they need to wait until Monday to contact the Social Service. Along the weekend, Sven has friction with the adolescent, but Göran befriends Patrik, who is an experienced gardener. Göran and Sven have an argument about Patrik and Sven leaves Göran.

When Göran learns that Patrik has been rejected by families for ten years, he decides to adopt Patrik. But now he is alone and the process of adoption is no longer valid and he needs to prepare a new application.

I am not a fan of films with the theme "gay couple", but Patrik 1.5 is a pleasant surprise. The story is funny, dramatic and romantic and the trio Gustaf Skarsgård, Torkel Petersson and Tom Ljungman is charismatic and shows a great chemistry. The director and writer Ella Lemhagen is very sensitive and never overexploits the gay relationship of Göran and Sven.

The prejudice of the neighbors of Göran and Sven is impressive considering the image of freedom in sex that the Swedish people have in my country. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Patrik 1.5"

I found this film to be a very satisfying experience, but then again, much of Swedish cinema has this effect upon me.

This is not so much a story about a gay couple attempting to adopt a baby boy (and being sent a surly, delinquent 15-year-old) as it is about family, relationships, fitting in, making compromises, and ultimately discovering that what you have may just be what you need.

Most of the movie takes place in a 'nice' suburban street, a kind of Stepford-meets-Pleasantville. Residents spend their spare time in the garden, socialising with others in the street, and being nice to one another. Enter a gay couple who are in the process of adopting a child. Not only does the neighbourhood have to adjust, but so do the couple themselves, and eventually the 'child' they adopt.

Gustaf Skarsgard carries this film almost single-handed. His character - Goran - is subtle, charming, patient and caring. He is the one who eventually forms a meaningful relationship with the 'son' who turns up at their door - wonderfully played by Tom Ljungman, who will be someone to keep an eye on in the future. It's hard to believe he was only 16 at the time of filming, as he creates a character in 3 dimensions.

I like people-movies, and this is definitely a people movie. It is not complicated or terribly deep, but it held my attention fully, and I was sorry when it ended.

Just one more comment........... There is a blue car which speeds down the street, and kids and dogs have to jump out of its way. This happens about 2-3 times throughout the course of the film, and is never explained. It reminded me of the motor cycle which sped through the town in 'Local Hero'; rather a nice touch, although not original.

9 stars.

I can't remember the last time I was so completely charmed and moved by a film. What an absolute delight, and a wonderful achievement from everyone involved.

I'm very lucky because for my work I get to watch at least one or two films a day, but good lord, most of those films are tedious to watch all the way through even once - so it's very rare to encounter films that can be watched with pleasure over and over again. And I'm not talking about super-duper-once-in-a-lifetime films like Aliens that of course we can watch a million times, but films made on modest budgets by teams who obviously put their hearts and souls into making something beautiful and meaningful with limited resources.

Patrik 1.5 is an unusual romantic comedy in that it's about the love relationship between fathers and sons - a (non-sexual) love story between a man (Goran) who desperately wants a son and a boy (Patrik) who desperately wants a father. It's also a love story between the audience and Goran, played absolutely perfectly by Gustaf Skarsgard - I cannot believe that even the grumpiest conservative could not fall in love with such a beautiful, kind, caring, vulnerable but brave person, and I think it's depictions of regular guy gay characters like this in films that will have more influence in bringing about change for the better than the most strident political hectoring. What the film recognises and depicts so beautifully is that in any father son relationship, the sons, even very young sons, understand that sometimes they have to look after their dads (or father figures) - that's what it means to be a man. Perhaps the reason the film provoked so many tears for me is because it made me realise all the love that my deceased father needed that I was not able to give him.

Director Ella Lemhagen has done a fantastic job organising cast, crew and production staff to build a first rate film on a bargain budget. And of course that would not have been possible without the most crucial raw material, the complex and beautiful script by Michael Druker. The production design is superb, and the music, by Fredrik Emilson, is perfectly judged to enhance and colour the moments of poignancy and desperate unspoken longing.

And Gustaf Skarsgard - what to say? How is he not the most famous and adored of the Skarsgard acting clan? Usually I don't have much respect for actor children of established stars, because you always feel they got a leg-up into an exciting job that we'd all love to do but don't have the chance. But I don't get the impression that Gustaf Skarsgard is an entitled movie brat - I think he really surrendered himself into this role and let down all his defences to give people a beautiful cinematic, and emotionally cathartic, experience - and that's not something that many actors are capable of, or willing, to do, whether they come from acting families or not.

Anyway, for me this is one of those very rare films that scores 10 out of 10.

Patrik 1,5 – CATCH IT (B+) Patrick 1.5 is a Swedish movie about Goran and Sven have been cleared for adoption and they have a possibility to adopt a Swedish orphan, Patrik 1,5. But when Patrik arrives he turns out to be someone else, not the little boy they were expecting. A comma had been misplaced, and in comes a 15-year-old homophobic with a criminal past. Patrik 1.5 is hilarious and movie at the same times. it take cares the sensitive issue with humor and the whole family dimension makes this movie more endearing. Gustaf Skarsgård brother of Alexander Skarsgård & Torkel Petersson as couple are great. But I have to say Tom Ljungman steals the show with witty humor and hidden emotions underneath the callous attitude. I personally enjoyed the movie a lot, so if you're into a family dram with sarcastic humor. This one is for you. Loved it!

The film is understated. Everything that happens is believable, nothing crazily exaggerated for the movies. The protagonist is half of a gay male couple. He is a doctor. He is quite sensitive. The world around him treats him quite badly, no matter how hard he tries to play fair and compassionately. His neighbours pretend to be liberal and accepting, while teaching their kids homophobia behind his back.

In one brilliant scene, he has to give a little girl a vaccination. She asks him if he is a "homo". He answers yes. Then she asks what it means. He explains he loves males rather than females. She asks him who in particular he loves. She has no prejudice at all. Her father bursts in and violently accuses him of being a paedophile. Nobody in the movie seems to understand the difference between gay and paedophile. Our protagonist sees it as pointless to try to set them straight.

Our protagonist is compassionate. He is able help others by seeing the world from their perspective, and by ignoring the rude or thoughtless things they say.

The boy is a brat, but not an outrageous brat. He comes around just from continuous gentle kindness.