Beyond

Wish I hadn't watched it. Constantly going back to the past in small clips. Heart wrenching yes, but not the sort of film I was expecting. Brilliant acting but it just failed for me. I was pleased when it was over. Very unusual for me.

I recently saw this at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Noted actress Pernilla August makes her feature film directorial debut and for her first time out gets Sweden's official entry to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film consideration. Leena (Noomi Pace) is the daughter of Finnish immigrants to Sweden whose abusive and alcoholic father is long dead and her mother with whom she has an estranged relationship is in the hospital and dying. A series of flashbacks tell the story. Ville Virtanen is Leena's hard drinking, hard living father Kimmo. Outi Mäenpää is Leena's long suffering mother Aili who, despite all she put up with in her marriage, carries a life long love and sympathy for her husband. With Tehilla Blad is Leena as a child and Pace's real life husband Ola Rapace as Lenna's husband Johan. Based on the Susanna Alakoski novel with screenplay by August with Lolita Ray. Cinematography by Erik Molberg Hansen. This is a great cast and features great directing, cinematography, a good script and story and sound. It's a dark subject with spousal and alcohol abuse but not presented too darkly but very believably. I would give this an 8.5 out of 10 and recommend it.

Pernilla August has directed a heart wrenching story about a woman which has to get back to her dying mother after a lot of years with no contact. But already on the way there we understand that going back is something of the hardest thing she can do. Through flashbacks we see some of her childhood years in a alcoholic abusive home, which really has made her childhood something she rather would have forgotten.

Noomi and Ola Rapace plays brilliantly (being formerly married, they sure know how to find electricity in their relationship), but the price for great acting should go to the whole crew. The drunken parents are perfectly depicted in a film which I think maybe is the most brilliantly display of an alcoholic abusive upbringing I ever seen.

Filming is bleak, dark and very suitable for this story, which slowly grips you in a way that when the film ends it's a surprise to you that you just spent two hours in it's company.

It's also the best Swedish film I ever saw, and therefore I give a 9 in score for this. Very recommended.

One of the best dramas I have ever seen! The protagonist is amazing. The music is perfectly in line with the movie! This is a real masterpiece!

Can only admire Noomi Rapace's acting and that of the cast in this tragic and sad story. It's not going to make anyone feel uplifted for the experience of watching this film but it will certainly make an impact.

Not a film I'd want to see twice though.