Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

runamokprods A moving film about two late middle aged people (a composer/conductor and a first violinist) who find each other, fall madly in love, leave their marriages, only to have Martin develop Alzheimer's.The bulk of the film is watching his slow decline, as he slowly disappears, leaving his lover behind. Tremendously sad, yet somehow also a little cold, not as emotionally impactful as I kept wanting it to be. The acting is terrific, but there's something both a bit clinical, and a bit manipulative about it. E.g. Martin's attacks too often come at the (too) perfectly dramatic moments. Also, there's no time spent on the wrenching decision for each to leave their earlier marriages, so why include it? Yet, all that said, it's still a strong, moving experience. A grown up movie about older people in a world with far too few of both.

victorsargeant Caught this film late one night, cold Colorado winter night, and could not walk away to a warm bed.Well done, cast and crew deserve to be proud of themselves, if this is the director's wish. Never knew much about Swedish foreign film.Bergman, of course, but not this director. Echoes of Bergman were felt.The actors who played the leads, Martin and Barabara were perfect and carried the story. I felt their love and pain.The summer picnic conversation around Mozart's The Magic Flute, was the metaphysical key to the lock for me. Two questions are discussed, light overcomes darkness and even the departed, are still alive and above all love survives all.Watching the different levels of old timers pull them down into its oblivion, we see the struggles of the two lovers grasping the threads of their love, against the winds of madness.Nancy Reagen, remarked, "They know from their side, that they are being taken away, against their will, and the look of desperation is haunting. It is the worst stage of the disease." In the last scene, Barbara moves in to Kiss Martin, and he mistakes this movement, to mean food, and opens his mouth, like a bird....its poignant and sweet.Would own this DVD, as it gave me something I want to keep. I want to know more about the director, and the two major actors now.SARGE

ctarlen I am quite familiar with Alzheimer's Disease. Both my mother and grandmother had it. To me this movie shows that love is useless when it comes to Alzheimers. Eventually the sufferer forgets everything. While a respectable movie, it is not exactly dramatic or innovative. I felt that I was being told something that I not only already knew, but had lived through twice already and probably will go through myself.However, I was interested in how the Swedes care for Alzheimer's patients. At least Martin didn't have to die in the horrible nursing home that my mother lived and died in. It helps to have money and socialized medicine, I guess. Do you think I can immigrate to Northern Europe before I get the disease?

Serva Despite not doing well at the theaters and not-so-enthusiastic critic response, this movie was nominated for best picture at the Swedish equivalent of the Oscars, Guldbaggegalan. Sadly I think this tells more about what a slow year 2001 was for Swedish films than what a great film this is. Because in my humble opinion it certainly is not anything special at all. Where should I start. It is based on a book and unfortunately this REALLY shows through... Several lines sound as if they were taken straight from a book. And they use words you simply never use in spoken language. The story itself is about an old man who obviously is a composer. He falls in love with a woman in his orchestra and they move together but he gets Alzheimers and it gets really bad very fast. Sounds like fun and games to you? Well I can tell you it sure isn't. It gets really predictable very quickly and what's worse it really doesn't end anywhere surprising. Not good or satisfying in any way. The acting is pretty awful actually. Sven Wolter does a good job portraying someone with Alzheimers, but others like Viveca Seldahl delivers her lines without even trying to put some emotion into it. But worst of all for me, having played in an orchestra for several years, was the silliness of trying to cover up that Viveca and Sven really have never been close to such a thing. They stand out awkwardly clear against the people who know how to play an instrument, and it really ruins those scenes for me. No, get your act together Swedish film industry. We need more movies like Fanny och Alexander. My rating: 2/10.