Till det som är vackert

This movie has captured my curiosity not only by its synopsis but also by the fact that it is led by one of my favourite artists (and recently awarded an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role) Alicia Vikander, it was good to see the actress in her most genuine "form" by the fact that she spokes in her home language- Swedish.

The truth is that I did not knew (or knew very vaguely) Swedish cinema however, after having seen this film I can say that it have exceeded my expectations, expectations such that, I confess, were not very high given that I didn't knew the director.

What I can say is that I really loved both the argument (produced this also by Lisa Langseth) as the story developed around the same. Referring to other components of the production I can enhance the quality of the interpretations and the whole soundtrack chosen and produced for the film, soundtrack that I am listen attentively while I am writing this review.

In relation to the plot in particular I have to say that I loved it! The changes in the character of Katarina thrill anyone minimally wrapped in the story; how the protagonist excels itself leaving behind a life unworthy and unhappy to build gradually her space in society is indeed remarkable and worthy of being highlighted. To conclude I can only say that I really liked it! Excellent job of production and an argument very emotive, it is without doubt a great message and I advise anyone to watch it.

Ricardo Sacadura.

What would you do to get out of the guat (thanks John Hughes) you find yourself in? This is the central question posed by our protagonist played by Alicia Vikander in an early role before embarking into Hollywood superstardom. In a story w/echoes of the Dardennes' Rosetta, we have a woman whose found her calling in life but due to a mistake in judgment, she'll do anything to keep her station. At once harrowing, traumatic but ultimately uplifting, Pure's heroine gets her due but at what cost?

Well, the script might raise some questions at some points but this doesn't really matter. The intensity, the power and credibility of Alicia Vikanders' performance in this movie blows away the story lines. The sober direction of the movie underlines her performance. One of the best performances I've seen in the last years.

The script is touching many subjects such as poverty, coming-to-age and gender issues, without digging deep in any of them. It is the acting which gives the depth of the emotion to this movie. When she is asked to dance in front of the conductor in a most humiliating way, the scene is so painful that the buildup to the climax feels almost logical emotionally. This is not about ethics, but during the movie, you get dragged into the wild emotions of Katarina. And this is to me the essence of the movie: a young wild women fighting her way through a very troubled life. I don't think the director intends to ask our approval or even sympathy, but wants us to take a journey on the emotional roller-coaster of Katarina, so brilliantly performed by Alicia Vikander. Simply breathtaking.

Great to see a strong female lead, with full-on anger management issues, as if that were the most natural thing in the world. She's got plenty to be pissed about.

Vikander aces her first full feature. You can see why, her career kicked on from there. But I lean towards the lesser end of the User Reviews.

The music and philosophy props don't seem deeply felt, or played. The ingenue's progression with the older male, you've seen it all before.

How it subverts itself, you haven't seen that too many times. Brava!

Things like music, poetry, philosophy etc are essential details of this film, but otherwise have nothing to do with its theme.

That theme is the corruption of innocence. Which puts it in company with other films like "The Go Between", "Rosetta", "Mouchette" or "Lord of the Flies", but "Pure" is realistic rather than romantic. The director, Lisa Langseth, probably has much in common with Anthony Trollope, who was once described as "compared to Trollope, even Balzac is a romantic".

The entire film depends on the performance of Alicia Vikander as Katarina, and that performance is flawless, first as a young girl of passion, through her disillusionment, and, at the very last scene, to her "graduation".

And special mention should be made of Per-Eric Winberg's music soundtrack, both his own compositions and those he selected from other composers are first class.