Lars Amble Movies
- 1985
In a farce that starts out galloping but then stumbles and essentially collapses, a few crooks end up cheating other crooks as the story bobbles along between Sweden and Cuba. First a sleazy used-car salesman cons an innocent hair stylist into buying a wreck of a car. Next, the stylist's crooked brother gets out of prison and decides to fleece the car dealer in turn. And so it goes, back and forth, until everything seems to get out of hand, and the story and characters are buried in the process. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janne Carlsson, Gosta Walivaara, (more)
- 1983
This is a visually opulent story -- geared to a young adult level -- of King Charles the XII of Sweden and how he once tried for five years (1709-1714) to convince the Turks to help him conquer Czar Peter the Great of Russia -- and failed. According to this filmed version of history, seen through the eyes of a Swedish lieutenant, the Turks were equally willing to join with the Russians, or just send Charles back to Sweden. The line between tragedy and farce blurs as the king and his lieutenant try to find a way out of their predicament. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gösta Ekman, Jr., Lasse Aberg, (more)
- 1983
In this conventional comedy about a stand-up trio who come together again after a 16-year-hiatus to write material for a friend's wedding, the actors add enough of their talents to the script to lighten up the movie, but the narrative is still rather ordinary. Two of the trio were married to each other but have been divorced for awhile. When the ex-wife starts to fall for the other member of the trio -- who is newly-divorced himself, her ex-husband begins to feel pangs of jealousy. Their real problem, however, is how to come up with new material for their skit at the wedding since the years and adulthood seem to have altered their original viewpoints on what is funny. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brasse Brannstrom, Magnus Haerenstam, (more)
- 1982
Saudi Arabia has decided to order 1000 yachts from Swedish yacht-builders, the difficulty being how to choose between two competitors and the solution being to set them off in a boat race against each other with the winning team walking away with the lucrative contract. A Saudi prince will be there to watch the eventful race, and tensions are running high. Complications arise from the fact that one of the teams could not build their way out of a paper bag without major mishaps, while the other team is so sophisticated it could fold the same bag up as an origami ship and float it out to sea. Naturally, the good guys tend to be the misfits and the chances for them winning the race seem so dim...... ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lars Amble, Kim Anderzon, (more)
- 1981
Rasmus (Erik Lindgren) is a little orphan whose need for companionship leads him to seek the friendship of a hobo accordian player (Allan Edwall). The two hit it off quite well, and the hobo decides he has to somehow try to find a home for himself and the boy - though that does not look like a very viable option from the start. Side stories help fill in the three 25-minutes segments of this somewhat bland tale. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erik Lindgren, Allan Edwall, (more)
- 1968
A young intern in residence at a hospital allows his sentiments to affect his performance. The doctor seems more sensitive than his colleagues and is more affected by the human suffering than his more experienced cohorts. He tries to balance his personal feelings and the cold realities of medical professionalism, and he eventually considers switching to veterinary medicine. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Agneta Ekmanner
Shame demonstrates the futility of escaping the consequences of war. In 1971, the Rosenbergs, Jan (Max von Sydow) and Eva (Liv Ullmann), have retreated to an island off the coast of their unnamed country, which is embroiled in a civil conflict. Trained and employed as classical violinists, they make a modest living raising and selling lingonberries, though they continue to play their instruments. When a plane carrying soldiers crashes on the island, Jan and Eva see their lives changed in an instant as soldiers from both sides of the conflict overrun the island and fighting breaks out. The couple is arrested and charged with collaborating with the rebel forces. Colonel Jacobi (Gunnar Bjornstrand), an old friend of the couple, is in charge of the army defending the island, and he agrees to have the couple released if Eva will have sex with him. Shortly after Jan learns of Eva's betrayal, rebel forces gain the upper hand and order Jan to execute Jacobi, which he readily agrees to do. Not sure which side is safe to throw in with, the couple agree to leave on an early morning boat for another island, which is presumably sheltered from the conflict. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, (more)
