Lena Granhagen Movies
- 1998
This Swedish-Norwegian-Danish children's film is an adaptation of the popular 1964 children's book by Maria Gripe, a classic translated into more than 20 languages. Author Gripe refused to allow a film version until she saw Gronos' adaptation of her novel Agnes Cecilia. Set in the 19th Century, the tale has Snow Queen overtones as the spoiled woman of a royal family wants children for the cold corridors of her vast, sterile castle. After her husband kidnaps the glassblower's children, they are turned into amnesiacs and forced to live in the castle, where they are tortured and abused by their tutor, a weird witch. Production design by Jan Olof Agren contrasts the two settings -- the warmth and art of the glassblower's realistic world as opposed to the heightened sense of dread lurking throughout the mythical and stylized castle. Shown at the 1998 Gothenburg Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Pernilla August, (more)
- 1993
In this grim drama, a boy (Sven Wolter) grows up in the snowy wilds of northern Sweden amid a dour family. His father is a forester, and his mother and father make wooden dolls which they sell to supplement their income. To relieve the tedium of their unvarying existence, the boy occasionally resorts to pranks, which his father responds to in a completely humorless manner, accusing the boy of intending to cause harm. His father's stony lack of understanding provokes the boy to real acts of violence, until one day he runs away. Eventually, as an adult man with children of his own, he returns for a visit. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sven Wollter, Lena Granhagen, (more)
- 1986
This is an overly long, socio-psychological drama about the emotional turmoil of 15-year-old foster-child Sussie (Anna Linden) and the difficulties experienced in her foster family. After Sussie arrives in her new home, her own inadequacies are mirrored in the family. The mother wants to win Sussie's affection, the father wants perhaps a little more than her affection, and the son is out-and-out infatuated with her. Given this environment, and her own instability, Sussie either is literally slashing out at people and things, or at herself. With little visible redemption in sight (though not ultimately discarded either), this is not a movie for the casual filmgoer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Linden, Lena Granhagen, (more)
- 1969
Joergen (Per Myberg) is the Swedish journalist who uncovers a gun-running operation on the borders of Vietnam. The trail leads to a financial group of wealthy industrialists lead by Magnus Rud (Max von Sydow). He refuses to bury the story, leading to trouble for the idealistic reporter and his girlfriend Christine (Lena Granhagen) in this political drama about the war machine and freedom of the press. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lena Granhagen, Per Myrberg, (more)
- 1967
A whimsical menage-a-trois forms the basis of this comedy drama that tells the tale of an eccentric aspiring writer who is tossed out by his girlfriend. A good friend of the forlorn fellow feels sorry for him and allows him to stay in his apartment. The friend's wife is less than enthused by the intrusion as the writer is truly odd. Eventually she comes to care for him and will not let him leave. Trouble ensues when the writer brings a boorish typing teacher to live with them. The two oddballs soon dominate the apartment. The poor husband and wife desperately want to get rid of the typist and so conspire to have the wife pretend to seduce the writer. Unfortunately, the seduction turns out to be quite real. While they make passionate love, the poor husband puts on his buddy's tee-shirt and goes to sleep in the guest room. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Agneta Ekmanner, Hakan Serner, (more)
- 1964
This plodding drama has the female manager of a laundry fighting her lesbian leanings towards one of her employees. Marta (Eva Dahlbeck) has eyes for Rike (Gio Petre), a younger woman plagued by promiscuity, alcoholism and thoughts of suicide. When Rike tells the other women her boss made a move on her, the business is halted by a worker revolt. Xenia (Ruth Kasdan) is the Nazi concentration camp survivor who Marta saves when the other women attack her after a hysterical outburst. Slight male romantic interest comes in the form of a young shipping clerk (Per Myhrberg) who often tries to flirt with the women individually but is afraid of them in a group situation. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Dahlbeck, Isa Quensel, (more)
- 1959
Though not especially innovative or original, this romantic comedy by director Arne Mattsson features Sven Lindberg as Bertil Lund, an up-and-coming executive in a company that specializes in baby products. Bertil's problem is that he could be tapped for the V-P slot if only he were married and therefore, a potential father. No problem, his friend Thorbjorn (Bengt Brunskog) says. He then tells Bertil's boss that the bachelor really is married, and has Bertil introduce his (Thorbjorn's) wife Ulla (Elsa Prawitz) as "Mrs. Bertil Lund." Everything is just fine until Bertil falls in love with the boss's daughter (Mona Malm) and the boss sends Bertil and his "wife" on a business trip. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edvin Adolphson, Sven Lindberg, (more)
- 1959
Poking fun all the way at the critical housing shortage in Sweden, this standard comedy looks at the romance of Inga, a young jazz singer (Alice Babs) and Svante, an artist who restores paintings (Sven Lindberg). The two cannot marry because they cannot find an apartment to live in. After Inga goes on a summer tour with a band, Svante gets a job restoring paintings in an old castle. The pretty Baroness Sophie (Yvonne Lombard) finds the young restorer highly attractive, and she certainly has more than enough house for both of them. Will marriage be determined by the availability of a domicile? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sven Lindberg, Yvonne Lombard, (more)
