Happy End (2011)

A fairytale for adults. It's about five people with an important liaison to one another. The characters are all avoiding being truthful about the realities of their lives and waiting for ... See full summary »

Director:

Björn Runge

Writer:

Kim Fupz Aakeson

Stars:

Ann Petrén, Malin Buska, Gustaf Skarsgård

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ann Petrén	...	Jonna
Malin Buska	...	Katrine
Gustaf Skarsgård	...	Peter
Johan Widerberg	...	Asger
Peter Andersson	...	Mårten
Mariah Kanninen	...	Hanne
David Dencik	...	Richard
Fredric Gildea	...	Zidan
Hanna Malmberg	...	Nina
Anna Azcárate	...	Kvinnlig psykolog
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Antony Castle	...	Elev 1 (as Anthony Castle)
Marek Chodor	...	Man i husvagn 2
Stefan Cronwall	...	Trafikskolelärare
Åsa Eek Engquist	...	Elev 2
Anna-Lena Erlandson	...	Körskolelärare 1

Storyline

A fairytale for adults. It's about five people with an important liaison to one another. The characters are all avoiding being truthful about the realities of their lives and waiting for some miracle to happen. Instead of optimistically continuing their efforts, they find asylum in lies and falsities. The name suits the plot as all the main characters are wishing a Happy End to their existing problems while not doing much practically to improve their Present. This movie is 3rd in sequence of Björn Runge's Trilogy of Liberation. The two earlier movies are "Daybreak" and "Mouth to Mouth" respectively. The main idea behind these 3 movies is to portray the lives of people who are trying to liberate themselves from destruction.

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Plot Keywords:

male rear nudity | male nudity | male frontal nudity | female nudity | sex | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

Sweden Denmark

Language:

Swedish

Release Date:

23 September 2011 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Eftyhismeno telos

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film i Väst,Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI),Trollhättan Film AB

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

"Humane and intimate character piece..."

Swedish screenwriter and director Björn Runge's fifth feature film which was written by Danish screenwriter Kim Fupz Aakeson, was screened in the Official Selection at the 59th San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2011 and is the third part of the director's trilogy of liberation which was preceded by "Daybreak" (2003) and "Mouth to Mouth" (2005). It was shot on location in Trollhättan, Vänersborg and Gothenburg in Sweden and is a Swedish-Danish co-production which was produced by Swedish producers Martin Persson and Madeleine Ekman. It tells the story about Jonna, a middle-aged driving teacher who one day learns that her son Peter, a painter who lives with his girlfriend, has been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Jonna does whatever she can to be there for her son and when Peter's girlfriend leaves him she lets him move in with her, but as Jonna becomes more aware of her son's troubles she begins to doubt that her care is what he needs and secretly hires a young woman named Katrine to encourage him.

Distinctly and precisely directed by Swedish filmmaker Björn Runge, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character' point of view, draws a gripping portrayal of a struggling painter's relationship with his caring mother and a young woman's afflicting relationship with her demeaning and abusive boyfriend. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, reverent and prominent cinematography by Swedish cinematographer Ulf Brantås, production design by Danish production designer Jette Lehman, film editing by Swedish film editor Lena Dahlberg and the poignant use of colors which expresses the mental and emotional states of the characters, this dialog-driven and narrative-driven story about family relations, grief, loneliness, love, betrayal and interpersonal communication, depicts multiple dense and internal studies of character and contains some great and timely music by Swedish actress and singer Ebba Forsberg.

This somewhat romantic, darkly humorous and distinctly atmospheric drama which is set in Sweden in the 21st century and which is centred around the lives of five characters, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, use of sound and light and the authentic acting performances by Swedish actress Ann Petrén, Swedish actress Malin Buska in her debut feature film role and Swedish actors Gustav Skarsgård, Johan Wideberg and Peter Andersson. Though not as memorable as the previous films in the trilogy, this at times heartrending, densely theatrical and psychological narrative feature has some singular moments. A humane and intimate character piece which gained, among other awards, the Jury Prize for Best Cinematography Ulf Brantås at the 59th San Sebastián Film Festival in 2011.