In this movie, the most credit goes to the director, camera and cinematography dept., because it was really beautifully filmed. Acting was also decent, considering the story. My score is based only on that.The story itself is quite dumb and unrealistic. Not the first part. In it we have two girls, both in serious relationships, who meet, feel the attraction and have a weekend fling. I can buy that, it happens all the time, no matter the sexual orientation.It is the second half of the movie that bugged me. In it we're to believe that after a roll on the hay and (I have too mention this, because it is important) very few words in between, these two feel that they're meant to be, that they're soul mates and that they can't live without one another. The words they exchange, in both love and anger, and the havoc they wreak after is something that might happen after a long affair, but not after 2 days.To me, this movie is nothing more than a filmed pulp romance novel - lesbian edition.
... View MoreIt's a Swedish Film.Um. I don't know how to start this but it is just an OK-Movie for me. Its plot is pretty much like Imagine Me & You, only a bit more realistic and more explicit - which to tell, I am not a big fan of. But I really could have liked it even more. I could have liked it even more if they did not show us excessive make outs yet no more than a scene or two of the two girls 'really' getting to know each other. They hardly talked and then the next moment, they were so in love. Although of that, the actors and the story itself moved very well. I have to admit that there is something in the movie that just hooks you in to loving their relationship.Now another good thing. I liked how it is about a father who is a bit of homophobic - then after so lately, learning that it is about what is best and would cause happiness for your child. Although it showed that homosexuals are strange, in the end it proved that it should not be. A lot of clichés, but it fit well.SHAG ME, FRIDA.
... View MoreWow. Somehow I doubt that words can express how much I have enjoyed watching this film, but I simply must give it a go.The story starts with the celebration of Lasse and Elisabeth's engagement. Having found each other late in life, Lasse brings two adult children into the marriage, the youngest of which, Oskar, already has connected beautifully with Elisabeth's daughter, Frida. When Lasse's daughter Mia joins the party alongside her fiancé Tim, we immediately feel she is quite the unpolished element in the newly-composed family. It doesn't take very long however before we realize how she is going to blend in.Mia and Frida's first impressions of each other are exposed solely through body language. The secret looks they throw at each other radiate mutual curiosity, but whereas this curiosity is clearly of the welcoming kind on Frida's part, it is shrouded in a cloud of inexplicable caution on Mia's part. For the time being, that is. And this is the only scene in which I grew a little too aware of my own willing suspension of disbelief: the first kiss. Five extra minutes to waltz us to the moment where Mia lets her guard down would have been nice. Whereas the kissing scene makes it clear that Mia's initial reluctance to get to know her stepsister was fueled by self-protection and not aversion, it would have been so much more powerful if we also got to see what exactly had caused the sudden turnaround. One might attribute it to Frida's undeniable charm, her dazzling smiles and hypnotic gazes in the scenes running up to that precious moment, but then, she did not exactly save these up for those first private encounters. Rewind and you will notice that Frida wasn't any less endearing the very first moment you laid eyes on her. Or when Mia did, for that matter.From there on, the storytelling is pretty much flawless: the gradual and natural unraveling of two people who cannot stay away from each other and who eventually have to deal with the obstacles that prevent them from being together permanently. Sure, the final scene does reek a little of Hollywood, but thank god for a film that deals with same sex attraction and that does not end in total disaster! Generally speaking though, the film has quite a realistic feel about it, which probably has a lot to do with the performances. I don't know what it is that makes some couples work on the big screen and others not, but this couple definitely works. Works as in fireworks.Which brings me to the actors. Ruth Vega Fernandez as the beautiful tormented Mia, Lena Endre as the wise and caring mother, and Krister Henriksson as the-not-so perfect-that-it-almost-makes-him-perfect father are outstanding. But Liv Mjönes's portrayal of Frida is divine. It is impossible not to fall in love with those storytelling eyes, those quirky gestures and priceless renderings of trivial words like 'ja', 'absolut', 'precis' and, a little less everyday, 'vebab.'The amount of attention given to the subject of sexuality perfectly mirrors European present day society. Especially for the older generation, it's okay to be gay as long as you're far away. If it affects their inner circle, they will need to go through a small crisis before reaching the okay stage. All in all, it is still the case that, despite all the progress that was made, one cannot be gay without being explicitly defined as such. In short, 'Kyss Mig' is a wonderful film about love in contemporary European society. It is intelligently written and beautifully shot; a feast for the eye and balsam for the soul. Also, did I mention it has Liv Mjönes in it?
... View MoreSwedish writer and director Alexandra Therese-Keining's second feature film which she also wrote the screenplay for, was based on an idea by her and the producer of the film Josefine Tengblad. It tells the story about Mia, a woman in her thirties who lives in the capital of Sweden with her soon to be husband Tim. When they attend Mia's father and his fiancée's engagement party in Skåne, Mia is introduced to Frida, the daughter of Mia's step-mom. Frida takes a liking to Mia and when Tim goes back to Stockholm in order to arrange their wedding, Mia develops a close relationship to Frida.This humorous and romantic character-driven Swedish production about love, marriage and family relations is a finely written and narrated story which focuses on two women in their thirties who unexpectedly find themselves drawn towards one another. Alexandra Therese-Keining's charming and involving drama creates a significantly romantic atmosphere which is reinforced by the subtle camera movements, the radiant cinematography and the great score. The chemistry between the leading actresses Ruth Vega Fernandez and Liv Mjönes is noticeable and their engaging and understated acting performances strengthens this well-paced romantic tale.
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