A Vida sem Você

If you have ever been in a relationship that ended sadly, you will be able to empathize very well with the protagonists here. And since the actors portray their characters with such accuracy, you will feel their pain so acutely that you may indeed find it painful to watch. It might even bring you to tears. Yes, it is a downer of a film. The very first scene is the actual break-up point in the relationship, which occurs in their bed, as they discuss what has happened to their relationship and if there is any chance that their problems can be fixed. Even the bed itself becomes a point of contention, a sort of symbol of division.

As each of them returns to the modern gay dating world, we see them go through some very realistic attempts to move on with their lives. We witness a few of their dating encounters: some comic, some desperate, and some just sad. There is a very touching scene where the two of them and their respective new flames attempt to have a civil dinner party.

So, dare we hope for some sort of reconciliation in the end? Watch and see. (And look in the Special Features on the disk to see an alternate ending.)

The movie opens with two men slowly - very slowly - discussing their breakup. That continues - slowly, depressingly, pointlessly - for the next hour and 45 minutes. As with another reviewer, I was begging for the end.

Also, this movie contains one of the least likeable protagonists imaginable. If you want someone to root for, Adrian isn't it.

Talented actors and good cinematography do not save the show, due to the poor screenplay. The dialogue is simply not believable; the characters express their emotions as if they had been watching daytime soap operas all their lives.

Yet again, I've been glued to the set watching a film of one hour and forty four minutes. I'm always apprehensive when a film goes over the ninety minute mark as I fear it might just be a sprawling mess. However, here, I didn't glance once at the clock to see how much longer there would be till the end.

When the film started, I was also worried that it was going to be similar to "Weekend" or "Sodom", both films that bored the pants off me. The format looked as if it was going to be the same - two guys discussing their past and their relationship. However, the director and writer had mixed a judicious number of other characters into the pot although it was a film principally about Adrian and Hampus.

The differences between the two leads were marked as were their different ways of dealing with their break up. Adrian, who was afraid of ever losing control, had to deal with it having happened. And with his personality, he was the one who had the greater difficulties in being alone and accepting the fact. Hampus had his hardships too but they were impulsive and emotional, not sustained and obsessive.

The minor characters were ciphers, of course. This was a film about the two former lovers. Nonetheless, their contributions moved the plot along. The one plot device I disliked though was the impossible coincidence of the meeting in the HIV clinic. There were better ways to engineer the story towards a dinner party for the exes and their new fellas.

I understand that on the deluxe DVD there is an alternative ending that can be played. If that ending is what I suspect it might be, then it would be an utter cop out and I'm glad it wasn't used for general release.

The very last shots in the film screamed "Sweden" to me. Even without having seen the film or heard the language, seeing those fields and that lane would have had me saying that this was Sweden or (possibly) Finland. I'd feared that the ending was going to be different but it was perfect and apt.

An honest depiction of relationship on the rocks and the aftermath for the one who leaves behind alone and wounded. Bjorn Elgerd is fantastic as the man who has a hard time showing the true emotions and deep grieve on his loss of his partner. The closeness, intimicy and mental pain echo's Swedish director Inmar Bergman.