Lena Dahlman Movies

The brother of a former beauty queen discovers that his angelic sister is far from the innocent beauty he thought in this breakneck black comedy from Swedish filmmaker Ulf Malmros. Upon returning from Stockholm to the quaint rural village from which he came, Erik (Jonas Rimeika) is dismayed to discover that his sweet little sister Susie (Tuva Novotny) has gone missing. Diving headlong into the shady underbelly of the small town in a desperate attempt to locate his long-lost sibling, Erik is shocked to find himself following a trail that involves everyone from heroin-addicted movie buffs to corrupt policemen and fearsome gangsters. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This uneven comedy is set in the 1920s and stars Janne Carlsson, one of Sweden's favorite comics, in the role of Albert Jansson, a fisherman who turns from fish to foul in order to make a better living. In a near-parody of its cinematic predecessors, Smugglarkungen is also set in a bucolic coastal community where love and the forces of virtue face heavy-duty challenges. Albert is an honest fisherman until he succeeds with a vengeance at bootlegging and cannot but enjoy the happy consequences of his success: namely, the physical attractions of the fair Sickan (Nina Gunke) and equally appealing Grethe (Sanne Salomonsen, one of Denmark's more popular rock stars). Albert's love-life is rudely interrupted when the "smuggling king" Strauss (Ernst Gunther) and his minions resent his intrusion on their lucrative turf, and to make matters worse, Lt. Winkel (Bjorn Skifs) is sent from Stockholm to investigate possible customs violations in the area. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi