By whom and how are scripts, directors and actors selected for new Swedish films? What public or private financiers do see opportunities in a screenplay that does not even rise above despised soap series on TV? Do they believe that it is enough to cast some fine Swedish actors to create a quality film? A single to Antibes raises these questions and probably no answers will be given.
The film is about the retired French teacher George (Sven-Bertil Taube) that has enough of his thieving home maid Maria (Rebecca Ferguson) and his grown up children, trying to sell his house to get his money. As a counter-move George makes a plan together with his friend and neighbor, Olof (Iwar Wiklander) and sets off to his youth love Christine (Catherine Rouvel) in Antibes. The journey gets complicated and delayed, but ends in a kind of reconciliation.
Must the darling Christine live in Antibes? A Swedish place would be good enough for this story. The filmmakers certainly find a location in France far more exclusive and interesting and giving the film team opportunity to stay at the Riviera for a while.
The screenplay has got some good lines, but that's not enough. The story is screwed up to Swedish farces from the 30's that often were very good in their category. But in this drama comedy the hilarious is just ridiculous.
The excellent artist and actor Sven-Bertil Taube does everything with style and skill. Here, however, he struggles to make the role of George genuine and interesting, and he almost succeeds, until the weak script and the even weaker directing put barriers in his way. The multi-award-winner Richard Hobert is legendary as a director and writer of Swedish films, but here he falls through. His directing and script seem outdated.
The film photo (Jens Fischer) and music (Bjorn Hallman) are very good standard, but the editing is sometimes lacking in tempo.
The film characters are either stereotypes or not credible. The transformation of Maria, the home maid, from an unscrupulous criminal into a kind girl is not very convincing. The far too decent neighbor Olof is involved from beginning to end, but remains anonymous. The role of Catherine is a silly toady with lip implants lacking history and character. George's children John (Dan Ekborg) and Susanne (Malin Morgan) are naughty, but get unintelligible nice. It's worse that a fairy tale. The undertaker Tony (Torkel Petersson) that George meets on his journey is a twisted blend of reputable funeral director, health prophet and a playful cowboy. The role does not hold together for the actor Torkel.
The only reason to see this bad movie is the fine actor Sven-Bertil Taube. Bless him!
The film is about the retired French teacher George (Sven-Bertil Taube) that has enough of his thieving home maid Maria (Rebecca Ferguson) and his grown up children, trying to sell his house to get his money. As a counter-move George makes a plan together with his friend and neighbor, Olof (Iwar Wiklander) and sets off to his youth love Christine (Catherine Rouvel) in Antibes. The journey gets complicated and delayed, but ends in a kind of reconciliation.
Must the darling Christine live in Antibes? A Swedish place would be good enough for this story. The filmmakers certainly find a location in France far more exclusive and interesting and giving the film team opportunity to stay at the Riviera for a while.
The screenplay has got some good lines, but that's not enough. The story is screwed up to Swedish farces from the 30's that often were very good in their category. But in this drama comedy the hilarious is just ridiculous.
The excellent artist and actor Sven-Bertil Taube does everything with style and skill. Here, however, he struggles to make the role of George genuine and interesting, and he almost succeeds, until the weak script and the even weaker directing put barriers in his way. The multi-award-winner Richard Hobert is legendary as a director and writer of Swedish films, but here he falls through. His directing and script seem outdated.
The film photo (Jens Fischer) and music (Bjorn Hallman) are very good standard, but the editing is sometimes lacking in tempo.
The film characters are either stereotypes or not credible. The transformation of Maria, the home maid, from an unscrupulous criminal into a kind girl is not very convincing. The far too decent neighbor Olof is involved from beginning to end, but remains anonymous. The role of Catherine is a silly toady with lip implants lacking history and character. George's children John (Dan Ekborg) and Susanne (Malin Morgan) are naughty, but get unintelligible nice. It's worse that a fairy tale. The undertaker Tony (Torkel Petersson) that George meets on his journey is a twisted blend of reputable funeral director, health prophet and a playful cowboy. The role does not hold together for the actor Torkel.
The only reason to see this bad movie is the fine actor Sven-Bertil Taube. Bless him!