Once in a Lifetime

After having lived in Sweden for half a year, I truly appreciated this look into modern Swedish living. Schlager is to the Swedish what the ocean is to lemmings. They are all drawn to it instinctively.

A full-time nurse with three kids and an unemployed husband gets her lucky break and breaks through as a Swedish superstar.

A lot of laughs and frustration. Good acting, nice photography and above all a compelling story. 9/10.

This (Swedish) movie is the worst thing I have ever seen from Danish Susanne Bier's hand. This is too bad. Susanne Bier has made so fine movies as "Freud flyttar hemifrån..." (1991), "Brev til Jonas" (1992), "Det bli'r i familien" (1994), "Sekten" (1997) and the beautiful "Den Eneste Ene" (1999). After this one she made "Brødre" (2004) and the Oscar-nominated "Efter brylluppet" (2006). This script stinks. Not her fault altogether, as the script is by Jonas Gardell. But the fine, fine actors make some of the story believable. Most of all Helena Bergström as Mona, and Jonas Karlsson as David, and that may be a credit to the director, too.

OK, this movie is the greatest! It's an optimistic movie about a couple of Swedish folks who are totally unfortunate. One day they get a one-time chance to improve their lives and they take it! Mona, a nurse and amateur-singer who lives in Sweden with her family (sick brother, 3 girls and a husband) get the opportunity to participate in a famous Swedish song contest - Melodifestivalen. But Mona has many unsolved issues to deal with if she wants to win the contest. Except her pessimistic family, the writer of the song she submit, a patient she takes care of in the hospital, is totally against any publishment of his song. Will it stop Mona? See for yourself. In this movie many famous Swedish artists appear as guest stars - Carola, Lena Philipsson, Lasse Holm and many more... A very exciting movie - for romantic & comedic fans from all over the world.

> > > > > > > > > >

Susanne Bier achieved great fame in Denmark for her previous movie "Den eneste ene" so her new movie was eagerly anticipated in Denmark even though it was in Swedish.

It is a new comedy about everyday people. This time it is about a woman who is crazy about "Melodi Festivalan", a song contest for pop music. Helena Bergström is simply wonderful as the main character and it is mainly because of her that the movie is bearable.

Otherwise the movie is predictable, so sweet it is bad for your teeth and with a ending that might been played down a notch or two.

ANYTHING LESS THAN A 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 IS IN- APP- RO- PRI- ATE!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Did you get my point there? Good.)