A One-Way Trip to Antibes (2011) User Reviews

Swedish star actors in a weak soap.

[info-16827 · 22 September 2011]

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 His directing and script seem outdated.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!

One way ticket

[stensson · 4/10 · 5 October 2011]

Children who are waiting for their father to die to get the heritage exist. But not in this clumsy way. Director Richard Hobert gravely underestimates the audience's intelligence, when he screens such a story in such a way. Wherever these people are, they are not to be found in reality.

This old father leaves the whole thing, together with his Judas, the young maid, who cheats and betrays. Anyway there are moments of harmony on their way downwards to South France and moments of almost pubertal complications.

Sven-Bertil Taube acts with dignity, but without stiffness. It's clever and saves this from disaster.

A one-way to Antibes

[bjerking · 9/10 · 16 January 2012]

Reviews in major Swedish newspapers September 2011:

'Moving, honest and downright funny. Taube is phenomenally good.' Johan Croneman, DN

'Tender, touching, grimly funny and altogether entertaining.' Gunnar Rehlin, Femina

'A film for both the heart and brain. Hobert's finest since 'Spring of Joy'. Lollo Asplund, UNT

'It is a MUST for the national Jury to award Sven-Bertil Taube with the Golden Bug for this role'. Jeanette Gentele, SvD

'A great achievement by Taube. Richard Hobert directs brilliantly'. Per Hägred, Expressen

Beautiful, touching, overwhelming... a GREAT movie!

[Catharina_Sweden · 9/10 · 14 November 2012]

This is a wonderful movie about relations - between men and women, parents and children, employers and employees, and between friends... I am touched and overwhelmed. In fact - I almost have a kind of "holy" feeling after having watched it! It is full of love and wisdom and deep truths, but it also reminds you of the worst aspects of people's characters, such as egotism, deceit, and greed. It also has a lot of humour, scenery and much else. It gives you hope.

The leading character is played by Sven-Bertil Taube, who is the best actor in his generation. He was also a great singer when he was younger. Sven-Bertil Taube somehow embodies a lot of old-fashioned values. He has style, class, charm, kindness, authority, and honesty, and he is always a gentleman. He is also somehow the essence of everything Swedish...

People of all ages have important things to learn from this movie - before it is too late for THEM! I warmly recommend it!

An old man waiting to die to relieve his children of his presence, but there are unexpected delays

[clanciai · 9/10 · 25 March 2021]

There is more to this than just greedy children waiting for their old father to die, assisted in their intrigues and plans by his young housemaid, who blatantly steals everything she can reach from his home, but he doesn't mind. He knows he is about to die and soon and is well prepared, having no illusions about human nature, and associating mainly with ghosts from his past, of beloved friends who died tragically and who also wait for him to die but in order to have him joining them at last after many years of waiting. You learn to hate the outrageous housemaid who appears to have no scruples or conscience at all, and yet she is the one who ultimately helps him on the way, not to reach death but to reach life. It's a complicated but marvellous story with many surprising ingredients, and you can never guess who will make the next impressing entrance on the stage. The thing is, that the old dying man had a lover as a young man whom he could never forget nor quite cease hoping for a reunion with, and they actually keep in touch, she sending him flowers for his every birthday and he sometimes calling her up on the phone.. He could never desert his wife nor his children for that great love of his youth, but the housemaid finally discovers his secret and decides to help to finally realise the one great dream of his life. It's a terrible demonstration of human nature at its worst, but at the same time there is always room for reconciliation, atonement and forgiveness, as even in the worst human nature there always must be also something good. It's a very enlightening film about life on the final stage with the insight of old age into the other world, as he actually has acquired the art of talking with the dead, communing with them and understanding them better than any ordinary mortals can do. Sven-Bertil Taube makes a great performance, he is always good, and in the disgusting mess of betrayal, intrigue and foul play he manages to demonstrate the supremacy of human integrity, dignity and clairvoyant noble superiority.