Unga Sophie Bell

Amanda Adolfssons debut feature film after making some acclaimed short films is a story about the two young inseparable best friends Sophie and Alice moving to Berlin after high school graduation. They grown up lives are finally about to begin! They look so much forward to their upcoming move to Berlin.

But then Alice suddenly and mysteriously disappears. Sophie starts searching for the answers, ending up in Berlin. This changes her life dramatically.

This is beautifully told coming of age film is high on emotion and deep-felt reality. Thecfilm is crisp and clear like a spring day, and has a very attractive fresh look. The music is very effectively woven into the story, and some scenes are really shattering due to the additional use of effective music. Still I think these moments aren't used to their full extent.

The actors are doing a great job. Sphie, played by Felice Jankell, is a find! Also her young boyfriend Arvid, is equally perfectly played by Julius Fleischanderl. It takes a great director in the making to instruct young actors like this.

Still the film struggles with the pace, due to the use of the retrospective technique - the flashbacks. The film, which starts off great is ending up very differently pointless and a bit stressed out. Dealing differently with this, this really could be a modern classic.

A film maker, and actors, to watch out for.

This strikes me as one of those coming of age films we'll reflect on in 20 years and say 'wow, I remember those floral headbands, animal onesies, and glitter nightclub attire'. Then nostalgia will set in and there might be a tear or a sigh of relief. In any case, the film will have an evocative effect mostly due to its slow motion montage sequences accompanied by intense music to indicate moments of high emotion. Though the camera being used is breathtakingly crisp, the film seems a bit like a music video at times. While the characters are well developed and the plot well structured, I couldn't help but cringe at the melodramatic nature of scene choices. Flashbacks were overused to the point of cliché as were the hallucinations throughout the film. However, I think the film captured the respective German and Swedish landscapes beautifully and there was a delicate treatment of youth and friendship that I found very poignant. Also, this film definitely passes the Bechtel test. The women in the film are ambitious and exhibit freedom and independence. I approve of the films themes, characters and storyline yet I question the artistic choices made in conveying these aspects which I so much enjoyed. This is an unexpected journey of discovery for an inexperienced young woman in a cultured city with exciting prospects.