Second Act

This is the improbable love story between the worn-out theater actor Harald Skog and the recently retired occupational therapist Eva Söderberg. Harald (Rolf Lassgård) refuses to give up after a severe stroke, and Eva (Lena Olin) remains undeterred despite the challenges posed by her patients. We follow Harald's journey towards an unexpected comeback.

Both Rolf Lassgård and Lena Olin infuse their roles with magnetic presence. While Rolf convincingly embodies a revered theater actor with all his gravitas, Lena seems a bit too grand for her role, making it hard to see Eva Söderberg instead of Lena Olin.

This was a moment of pleasant entertainment, but not much more. Many non-Swedish viewers might find the character dynamics and their relationships unclear. It's likely that the script better captured these Swedish social nuances, but they didn't fully translate to the screen.

Harald Skoog is a talented actor. But one evening after work he suffers a stroke. The situation is, of course, serious. It is decided that Harald will receive care at home. Harald also tends to be quite dismissive. And yes, that causes some problems.

Eva Söderberg is a recently retired physiotherapist. She lives next door to her ex-husband and his fiancée. Eva and her ex also has Felix, their adult son. But Felix has his own home. He is also tired of his mother's quite excessive coddling.

Eva becomes a bit restless. She decides to go back to work and help Skoog. And no, it isn't easy.

I think that this movie is compassionate and warm. I like Eva. She is nice and doesn't give up. Harald's personality is a little complex. He can, in my eyes, embrace life, but not always.

I missed more romance in "Second Act", but that is honestly the only thing. In other words, I can recommend this movie. Maybe not for those people who love thrillers, but they might be happily surprised.