Fucking Åmål

Directed by Lukas Moodysson.
Written by: Lukas Moodysson
Produced by: Lars Jönsson
Memfis Film Sweden 1998 Colour
Genre: Drama/ Youth/ Romance
Local distributor: Sonet Film

A contemporary story about longing, the joy and pain of being in love, the comical and heartbreaking aspects of growing up - and the courage it takes to be different.

A fantastic film! This is a unpainted story about the hard youth time, almost like a documentary. Although the setting is a small town in Sweden, is the approach and story universal for at least the whole western world. It's about the frustrating, to put it mildly, period of life which the whole time lies in the edges of hell and paradise. You don't want to go back, but on the other hand you still do, because everything at the basis was so simple and unequivocal (clear). Black and white in a way. You'll recognise yourself, identify yourself with the actors, live yourself into their conflicts and get touched, provoked, sad and happy. You are not allowed to be untouched by this film, like you can of pointless action movies. You must take a position to it. Because it's about yourself. The film shows how difficult it is not to be «part of the gang», feel like your the most lonely in the world, how it's like not to feel home in the gang, how difficult it is to be parents. The unstable relationship between brothers and sisters. «Fucking Åmål» removes the biases you would have against love between two of the same sex, which really is the same as all kind of love! But this is no typical «gay-film». The film portrays the universal teen love, and that it here is between to girls, gives an extra punch to the point. It shows that the impossible maybe is possible. At least should be. You can get the one you want... When we here Broder Daniel in Whirlwind singing The only one I want. She was a superstar. It symbolises that Elin for Agnes is a superstar. Ironically has the person behind Agnes, Rebecca Liljeberg, become an unattainable «superstar» for many teen boys (and girls?) all around the world. If you're one of them, I'm sorry too disappoint you, because she is occupied. Look under actors. Like I said earlier we no that the ending of the film can't last forever. Because the crush is at the basis doomed to end. That's the youth time. Elin and Agnes drink O'boy! They're still children. That's why it's good the film ends like it does. So we can dream sway. Elin is maybe a lesbian, maybe bisexual. Or maybe even heterosexual. It's not really so uncommon that heterosexual girls both hug and kiss each other today. I have been to Italy. I shall not conceal that I - as a boy - probably wouldn't have been this profusely positive and moved by Fucking Åmål had to gay boys as the leading characters. But then it would have been a completely different angle, a completely different film. Girls are simply better to show feelings for each other. And here, there are two very cute girls as well... The film shows us that it won't be so difficult to show love for each other in the future. Even in a small town called Åmål. Check out my complete essay on this film.

Alexandra Dahlström
Erica Carlson
Mathias Rust
Rebecka Liljeberg

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