Songs From The Second Floor
You, The Living.
Both brilliant. Both directed by Roy Andersson.
Here’s a list of some notable Swedish films from the 2000s:
2000
Sånger från andra våningen (Songs from the Second Floor, Roy Andersson)
Tillsammans (Together, Lukas Moodysson)
Trolösa (Faithless, Liv Ullmann)
2001
Så vit som en snö (As White as in Snow, Jan Troell)
2002
Lilja 4-ever (Lilya 4-ever, Lukas Moodysson)
2003
Ondskan (Evil, Mikael Håfström)
2004
Så som i himmelen (As It Is in Heaven, Kay Pollak)
Ett hål i mitt hjärta (A Hole in My Heart, Lukas Moodysson)
2006
Container (Container, Lukas Moodysson)
2007
Du levande (You, the Living, Roy Andersson)
2008
Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In, Tomas Alfredson)
My personal favorite so far would be “Lilja 4-ever” which is a dark and disturbing tale of real horror. It’s very similar to a recent Polish film called “Your Name is Justine” which I would also recommend. Liv Ullman’s adaptation of a Bergman play “Faithless” is an excellent drama about adultery that at least comes close to some of the master’s films like “Scenes of a Marriage”. The films by Roy Andersson are very interesting from a stylistic point of view since they’re composed as one shot canvas, but I couldn’t relate to these emotionally. “Evil” is a brilliantly acted drama about school violence, and despite some flaws an overall great experience.
I would add
Gitarrmongot (2004, Ruben Östlund)
Fyra Nyanser av Brunt / Four Shades of Brown (2004, Tomas Alfredson)
Farväl Falkenberg (2006, Jesper Ganslandt)
De Ofrivilliga / Involuntary (2008, Ruben Östlund)
All worth watching.
All great examples so far. I would add to the list:
Apan (2009, Jesper Ganslandt)
Flickan (2009, Fredrik Edfeldt)
Man tänker sitt (2009, Henrik Hellström & Fredrik Wenzel)
Maggie vaknar på balkongen (2008, Ester Martin Bergsmark & Mark Hammarberg)
Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick (2008, Jan Troell)
Darling (2007, Johan Kling)
Fyra nyanser av brunt (2004, Tomas Alfredson)
Detaljer (2003, Kristian Petri)
Both of Roy Andersson’s films are by far the best out of Sweden this decade in my opinion. Let the Right One In is also very good.
I guess I’m biased in my choice, as this is the documentary of one of my favorite Swedish musicians, but may I still add:
The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González (Mikel Cee Karlsson, Fredrik Egerstrand, Sweden, 2010)
I love Jan Troell’s movie-making, by the way. Artless, unaffected, made in earnest.
Songs from the Second Story
Let the Right One In (one of my favourite movies ever)
Roy Andersson’s films are brutal!… human, so good… I really want to watch: The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of José González (Mikel Cee Karlsson, Fredrik Egerstrand, Sweden, 2010) any of you know when is this coming out ?
I second “Tillsammans” and “Låt den rätte komma in.” And speaking of which, does anyone else title phrasing particularly disheartening in the US adaption of “Let the Right One In?”
(Let Me In: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228987)
As for “The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Jose Gonzalez,” I hear it’s coming out soon — sometime this Fall but have yet to find an exact release date. Also anticipating an official full trailer. I feel like I saw the teaser months ago.
unfortunately, I am not too exposed with Swedish cinema of this era, but I did absolutely love Smala Sussie (2003)… this may not be representative of the rest of the cinema discussed here, but I thought it was absolutely hilarious and as a result feel that I needed to mention it.
As a matter of fact, Tuva Novotny is the biggest reason I even checked this thing out… she is so gorgeous
Without having seen it, but being a native to Denmark, the film Snabba Cash (roughly translated Quick Money) which has just come out should be really good. It’s the feature film debut (I believe) of Daniel Espinosa.
Snabba cash (Easy money) is my best swedish gangsters film…
To quote an animation movie too : Metropia, by Tarik Saleh.
2006
Container (Container, Lukas Moodysson)
I, surprisingly, am not up on my Swedish film views, but out of the few I’ve seen in the past decade, I would have to go with “Låt den rätte komma in” aka “Let the Right One In”
soooo perfect.
The most recent Swedish film I saw would have to be THE PASSION OF ANNA (1968).
I second Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick (2008, Jan Troell). It was a touching insight into familylife and an insight to a less well known side of nordic culture.
Gitarrmongot (2004, Ruben Östlund) I found very entertaining and funny, though also well framed. I will have to watch it again to understand it more. My friends who are not from the Nordic countries did not quite get the humor though.
Tillsammans (Together, Lukas Moodysson)
Lilja 4-ever (Lilya 4-ever, Lukas Moodysson)
Hey can you help me??? Two years ago I watched a Swedish film about two young writers, one was already successful but with physiological issues, the other one trying to reach his friend’s successful without damaging the friendship. If someone can tell me the name, I would be so grateful. Thanks.
Hi Elizabeth,
Are you sure it was Swedish ?
Because it could be “Reprise”, a Norwegian film by Joachim Trier.
A very good one…
I think the film you’re trying to find is called REPRISE, it’s from Norway though.
Thanks Abraham, my mistake. It was “Reprise”. Thank you :-D
Rich Uncle Skeleton
As part of the Best Films of the Noughties: Helping us find lesser known greats Project;
http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/6662
Obviously Let the Right One In is a masterpiece that has received the attention it deserved. A tender yet sinister story of friendship, an unsettling look at bullying, a truly beautifully filmed reworking of the vampire mythology.
But alas this is where my knowledge of Swedish noughties cinema both starts and for the time being stops. So I hand the microphone over to you folks – what Swedish films defined the noughties?