Happy End

Lukas is a self-obsessed and naive young man, just below his thirties with non diminishing dreams of one day becoming a rock star. Marja is a life-experienced author, forty years his senior, with cancer and in a hurry to write her memoirs. Nothing could be heading towards more engaging complications than their involuntary meeting in a holiday apartment in Visby, which they both lay claim on.Happy End was met by generally dubious critics. The praise for the ”ambition” and the ”courage” were weighed against the films ”clichés” and ”the lack of tempo and pulse”. But not the least the acclmation towards Andersson in the role of Marja united the critics: ”Each time Harriet Andersson is on screen the temperature rises. She has a strong presence and concentration in her acting” said Sydsvenska Dagbladet.Some of the reservations depend on the problem in placing Christina Olofsson’s film in the late 1990’s. It tells of lost youth in a fairly edifying way and the tone is rather nice and warm, rather than ironic - something we have become used to in younger Swedish film. But for those who have enjoyed Olofsson’s earlier feature films from the last decade - Honey Wolfs (adapted from Sun Axelsson’s novel) and the praised Sanning eller konsekvens - these characteristics are probably recognised as a guarantee for a true involvement.Happy End is a very beautiful story, whose ambitions to bridge the gap between generations, as well as the distance between dream and reality, and lies and honesty, are held up none the least by its images and music. Add to that some fine supporting roles, plus the barren landscape of Gotland, which acts as a brilliant background to this summoning drama.

Medverkande
Harriet Andersson, Stefan Norrthon: Producent
Christina Olofsson: Manus
Soni Jörgensen: Foto
Robert Nordström: Musik
Johan Zachrisson: Talat språk
Swedish