Sebbe

Sebbe is a very sad, moving story of a teenage boy who is essentially alone and abandoned by everyone around him. His father is gone. His mother is emotionally unbalanced and behaves erratically. He is bullied and humiliated at school. And he's left to deal with it all on his own.

It's difficult to describe too much of what actually happens without spoiling the storyline. One example from the many depicted … his mother can't get him a birthday gift, but she finds a winter jacket in the laundry room and steals it. She presents it to Sebbe as a gift. He wears it to school where one of the other students, one who has been relentlessly bullying him, recognizes it as his own and accuses Sebbe of being a thief. His mother allows Sebbe to take the blame for what she did. He forgives her, tells her to forget about it and her response is to tell him she never wanted him and hates him. She kicks him out of the home and even that small, inadequate sense of refuge in his hostile environment is lost to him.

The acting is exceptionally good, especially by the young man playing Sebbe. Often there is minimal dialogue, but he projects his despair, hopelessness and the sense of total abandonment painfully well. It would be nice to think that such abuse and cruelty would not exist especially in a country like Sweden, which seems to be so protective and caring for its citizens … but unfortunately we all know that too many children suffer from such callous, truly inhuman behavior even in the so-called "advanced" countries.

A very sad, depressing story that was written, produced and acted extremely well.

It's a blatant cut and paste of Ken Loache's "KES". The difference being, it's more modern and in a different country. The director has even thrown in some mining references for good measure. Thoroughly depressing and tough to watch.

Generally,the movie about teenagers deals with the boy/girl who's got everything to be happy but feels melancholic and finds it hard to come to terms with his/her childhood's end ;harmless teenage angst .

Sebbe is diametrically opposite to them :he's got nothing ,and I mean nothing to be happy : his immature mother did not want him and is emotionally instable , sometimes so resentful she can kick him out of their apartment ; not being able to afford birthday presents ,she urges her son to give back a neighbor's gift ("I could not buy anything to her son") , and sometimes feeling so guilt she steals one jacked which belongs to one of his schoolmates.

School is another hell for Sebbe ;he is not fond of sports ,and that 's the coup de grace ; a preposterous cliché depicted in Anderson's play (transferred to the screen by Minnelli)"tea and sympathy "(1956)would claim that a boy who is not good at sports is a sissy ,a suspect ,a gay ,an intolerance which takes stupidity to new limits ; but in the locker-room ,you become the "true manly "boys' punching-bag .Besides ,Sebbe's father is dead (or he walked out on his mother),and he has absolutely no male figure at home .The only teacher who shows some compassion is a woman and she can't really relate to the boy's predicament .

There's a tendency to dwell on the sordid side of life, but teenagers can be cruel to their fellows ; Sebastian's face reflects an intense longing for love :the actor remains restrained ,sheds no tears , but one feels his despair,his awful solitude :what does the future has in store for such a born-loser?

I first watched this movie the year it came out, but it made such a strong impact on me that I had to re watch it and now feel that it really deserves a review!

This film uses rich and long scenes to convey to the viewer the struggles of 15-year old Sebbe and his complex mum. The amazing acting and script made me really identify with the main character, Sebbe. I felt his loneliness, I felt his anger against the people around him and I felt his very mixed feelings towards his mother! This is not a film without happy and beautiful moments though, and I feel that their impact is the more strong, because how wisely they are chosen.

All in all I strongly recommend this ultra realistic depiction of the life of young Sebastian!

When this story doesn't get people depressed I don't know any other one that could beat this one.

It appeals to a state of loneliness and not belonging that makes the end kinda hopefull. Why?! Taking charge for your own life and going your own way is in the end what it's all about in life. Doubtful?!