Becoming Astrid

Although I do not really know neither Astrid Lindgren nor her characters Pippi Longstocking, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, ... I loved the film which is based on the exceptional performance of the lead actress Alba August as well as an extremely neat photography. We might think that this film is jointly sponsored by the tourist offices and the ministries of culture of both Sweden and Denmark.

This biopic traces the life of Astrid during a small decade, in the 20s. We discover first of all a talented, mischievous and dreamy teen, then a young, fighting and resilient woman. Although the intended public of the books is very young, that of the film excludes, in my humble opinion, the children. Instructive and moving!

The "Inspired by" terminology is not the most inspiring. It's a biopic of Swedish children's book author Astrid Lindgren who would create classics such as Pippi Longstocking. It starts in her teen years in the 1920's rural conservative Sweden. She has an affair with her married boss and gets pregnant.

This is a story of Astrid and Lasse. The first half is a bit slow. There is a lot of story to get through but it is the story of Astrid and Lasse which is the most emotional. It is the heart and soul of the movie. I wish they get there sooner and I also wish for more with the Lindgrens story. That is the extent of any flaw in the movie. It needs to focus more on the second half. Alba August is simply great and she brings a full emotional performance. It's heartbreaking and uplifting. I can forgive the "Inspired" start.

This film is very comparable with COLETTE. Both are biopics of major women authors who came along just before the great 20th Century advances in the status of women. In both, the repression and intolerance that still prevailed not so long ago are stunning. Both make up for their inability to incorporate very much of the literary contributions of their subjects with excellent production value and period look. Where COLETTE succeeds readily as a star vehicle, this film surprises by transporting the viewer so thoroughly into 1920s provincial Sweden. The lead actress, Alba August, is in nearly every shot and never disappoints. She reminds me of Lena Stolze or Julia Jentsch. If I had it to do over, I would read up a bit on each subject before seeing the respective movie.

I'm from the US, with my own cultural pre-sets for entertainment and narratives (can't help it!). This Swedish movie was nonetheless easy for me to identify with and get deeply engrossed by. Yes, it tracked Astrid and the characters in her life a little differently from I'm used to - but that only added to its charm and intrigue. Young star Alba August incredibly portrayed Astrid at various ages - and not as a stunt of fancy make-up, but as a real and vivid character growing and evolving. I can totally see the Astrid in this movie creating Pippi Longstocking my own kids, and the world, loved.

Back to the "other culture" Swedish thing - I found I could not predict each new development at all - but I also resonated with each new phase, and understood and identified with each aspect, some rather poignant, of Astrid's life. Lastly, while some foreign movies can be depressingly heavy and dull, Becoming Astrid was bright, loving, and intensely enjoyable.

This is a beautiful piece of Scandinavian film making that held me spellbound from the first minute. The story of Astrid Ericsson's (later Lindgren) early life unfolds lyrically, with sensitive handling of the many controversies that shaped the children's author. While the cinematography is beautiful, and all performances are great, Alba August carries the film with a magical performance as Astrid. Every moment is perfectly told through August's acting, and caught by the director.

I would say that this film isn't quite as subtle as some Scandinavian films, but it's always difficult to fit life stories into a single film. This film made me want to see a series of films about Lindgren's entire life.