| |
Show Me Love
|
|
| Year: |
1999
|
|
Director: |
Lukas Moodysson
|
| Stars: |
Alexandra Dahlström, Rebecka Liljeberg, Erica Carlson, Mathias Rust, Stefan Hörberg, Josefin Nyberg, Ralph Carlsson, Maria Hedborg, Axel Widegren, Jill Ung, Lisa Skagerstam
|
| Genre: |
Comedy, Romance |
| Rating: |
  8 (from 3 votes) |
| Review: |
In recent times, playwright turned filmmaker Lukas Moodysson has alienated critics who championed his early work with misanthropic melodramas like A Hole in my Heart (2005). Do yourselves a favour, seek out his feature debut instead, an uplifting, sweet natured, high school romance. Show Me Love tells the story of two teenage girls: Elin (Alexandra Dahlström) and Agnes (Rebecka Liljeberg), each longing to escape a humdrum life in the small, Swedish town of Āmal (The film was originally titled: F***ing Āmal). Elin is gorgeous, popular with boys, hangs out with all the right friends, but secretly loathes her superficial lifestyle. Agnes is bright and loveable, but she’s the school nerd with no friends, heartbreakingly low self-esteem and a big secret. She is hopelessly in love with Elin.
Agnes’ well-meaning mother only makes things worse when she throws her daughter a birthday party and nobody turns up. Elin and her pushy, older sister gatecrash the party as a joke, but then Agnes and Elin spend the night getting to know one another, and something wonderful happens. Freaked out by these unexpected feelings, Elin rushes into a relationship with decent, but dopey Markus (Stefan Hörberg). Is Agnes doomed to be forever lonely, or will Elin pluck up enough courage to declare her true feelings?
Gender politics and sexuality aside, at heart this about a geek whose innocent love for a high school princess is miraculously reciprocated. As such, it’s the finest high school love story Cameron Crowe never made. Moodysson displays a keen understanding of teenage behaviour. The yearning for excitement, moments of self-pity, awkward romance, ebullient highs and sulky lows all rings true. Many scenes are laugh out loud funny, while poor Agnes’ disastrous birthday party is a little gem of toe-curling, observational comedy. Moodysson doesn’t sentimentalise the petty cruelties, social divisions, peer pressure or intolerance found in school life. Even Agnes is prone to lapses, such as her cold treatment of a disabled classmate. Yet Moodysson accepts such occasional failings as part of growing up, and draws compelling, naturalistic performances from his capable, young cast. Leads Alexandra Dahlström and Rebecka Liljeberg are utterly charming in their roles. Dahlström radiates sassy, self-confident charisma before slowly unveiling Elin’s vulnerability, while Liljeberg is a perfect mix of awkward grace and restless yearning, conveying so much with her dark, soulful eyes. Some might wish the film were more “in your face” with regards to gay politics, but honestly a big hearted rom-com like this will do more to combat prejudice than umpteen gritty dramas. By the climax, where Elin and Agnes are forced to literally come out of the closet, you’ll find yourself cheering for true love to conquer all. Telling your friends you saw a great movie about Swedish lesbians in high school might get you some funny looks (or requests to borrow the tape – depends how they roll). Whatever. This is a fantastic tale of high school angst and teenage heartache.
|
| Reviewer: |
Andrew Pragasam
|
| |
|
| Lukas Moodysson (1969 - )
Swedish writer-director who won international acclaim for his socially-conscious dramas: teenage romance Fucking Amal (aka Show Me Love), commune drama Together and the tragic Lilya 4-Ever. After the harrowing, controversial Hole In My Heart he turned even more experimental with the reviled Container, then the thematically ambitious Mammoth. However, he secured his best reaction in years with his 2013 feminist punk comedy We Are the Best! |
|
|
