Klas Olofsson Movies
This moving, finely-wrought portrayal of legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist was directed by his son Carl-Gustav Nykvist -- a noted filmmaker himself. Spanning from long forgotten kiddie flick in 1945 to Woody Allen's Celebrity (1997), Nykvist's career came to an abrupt end when he was diagnosed with a rare disorder that affects his speech. Though the film explores Nykvist's upbringing and turbulent private life (an ugly divorce, the suicide of one of his sons, an affair with Mia Farrow), the emotional heart of the film is his celebrated collaboration with auteur Ingmar Bergman, with whom Nykvist made some of his most enduring work, including Winter Light (1962) and Scenes from a Marriage (1973). As Bergman recalls his own career, he notes, "I don't miss making films, but I miss the collaboration with Sven." ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Bibi Andersson, (more)
- 1997
The title of this Swedish film refers to both a ticking clock and a time bomb. The narrative, in the tradition of Slacker (1991), Short Cuts (1993), and Pulp Fiction (1994) explores angst and despair in the lives of a variety of lovers, loners, and losers -- young Micke (Oliver Loftien), planning arson on his school; his classmate Jeanette (Tuva Novotny); skinheads Lasse (Emil Forselius) and Jorma (Mats Helin), hanging at a bar where they get an offer from immigrant Pedro (Claudio Salgado); a cop, Niklas (Thomas Hanzon), and his buddy Tommy (Douglas Johansson). Niklas has victimized Kent (Jacob Nordennson), whose wife Ylva (Tintin Anderzon) tries to defuse his anger and frustration. The events seen in the film all take place in a 24-hour period. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Loftien, Tuva Novotny, (more)
- 1993
It is the year 2009, and civilization has almost perished on the planet, choked to death by pollution. The only place it survives is in the frigid far north. There, the few survivors are governed by a harsh military government, and dissenters quickly find themselves rounded up by the murderous Duke (Jurgen Prochnow). The picture opens as Jake (Jolyon Baker), a captive of Duke's, manages to escape. He helps rescue a peddler (Matti Pellonpaa) from the aftereffects of a motorcycle accident, and in gratitude the merchant helps Jake get free of his handcuffs. Another escapee is an amnesiac but capable woman (Fanny Bastien), who becomes a romantic partner of sorts, as they almost inadvertently manage to bring down the murderous enforcer. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jolyon Baker, Fanny Bastien, (more)
- 1992
The Jönsson gang are a crew of lovable thieves who somehow always end up with the loot, despite being laughably incompetent. This is the sixth family comedy featuring this goofy gang. In this movie, they have a new leader, Dr. M.A. Busé, a medical doctor who has had to leave the practice of medicine. The old gang leader knew he was losing his own mental faculties, but before he went completely around the bend he designated the doctor to carry on in his stead. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ulf Brunnberg, Björn Gustafson, (more)
This historical drama chronicles the struggle of Swedish businessman Raoul Wallenberg (Stella Skarsgard), as he fought valiantly to save the lives of the Jewish residents of Nazi-occupied Budapest. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård, Katharina Thalbach, (more)
- 1989
This big-budget animated feature from Sweden, drawing upon some of that country's best known performers, is a children's adventure story with a cautionary ecological theme. The director drew his inspiration from such diverse sources as The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, and Machine Island, by ules Verne. In the story, Prospero has been exiled from his home, and is living on the island of Melonia with his daughter Miranda, an albatross named Ariel, and a fruit-monster called Caliban. Just as Caliban has finished creating something called "power soup" from the emanations of a local volcano, a crew of ne'er do wells crash-lands. They are from Plutonia, a polluted industrial planet given over to entirely to making weaponry, and they have come to steal Caliban's creation. Their plan is to take over the world Melonia is on and make it just as ugly as their own. Prospero and his kin band together to rescue the children on the industrial planet, who have been enslaved to work in the munitions factories, and at the same time put a stop to the evil plans of the Plutonians. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allan Edwall, Robin Carlson, (more)
- 1989
The Match Factory Girl is a Finnish/ Swedish coproduction. Kati Outinen plays the title character, trapped in a deadly dull job and an even deadlier duller home life. Against her family's wishes, she purchases a bright red dress and heads out for a night on the town. She spends the evening with a handsome wealthy man, who shows how significant this sexual pairing is by leaving her alone the next morning with a large sum of money. Not wishing to tell her parents of her misadventure, Outinen splits the money with her brother, then waits in vain for her "lover" to return. When she finds she is pregnant, she writes a syrupy note to her erstwhile swain, who coldly sends her a money order and instructs her to get an abortion. Even her family turns on her when her condition becomes obvious. With her remaining savings, Outinen purchases a generous supply of rat poison--not for herself, but for all the people who did her dirt throughout the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kati Outinen, Elina Salo, (more)
- 1988
I Skugga Hrafnsins--released in English-speaking countries as Shadow of the Raven--is essentially Tristan and Isolde, Icelandic style. During the late 11th century, Iceland is gradually being converted to Christianity, but old ways die hard. Tratusi (Reine Brynolfsson), a young Norseman, returns home to discover that his family is embroiled in a deadly feud...over the beached carcass of a whale. When the rival clan leader is killed, he is replaced by his daughter Isold (Tinna Gunnlaugsdottir) To assure that peace will reign in the region, Isold is promised in marriage to the son of the Bishop of Iceland (Sune Mangs)--who, despite his position as official spokesperson of Christian values, is corrupt and power-hungry. Isold would be willing to swallow her indignation and concede to this marriage of diplomacy, but she has fallen in love with her "enemy" Tratusi. Her plan to follow her heart while seeming to follow her duty inevitably ends in tragedy. Slow going for non-Scandanavian audiences, I Skugga Hrafnsina picks up tremendously in its violent final third. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reine Brynolfsson
- 1988
This Swedish version of Giuseppe Verdi's late 19th-century tragic opera tells the story of an Ethiopian princess who is forced into slavery when captured by the Egyptians. The women are depicted in various stages of nudity and the vocals are all sung in Swedish with Lorin Maazel conducting. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingrid Tobiasson, Niklas Ek, (more)
- 1987
Based on an Astrid Lindgren novel, this fantasy focuses on a Swedish teen drawn into a magical world to battle an evil knight. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Pickard, Christian Bale, (more)
- 1987
This plodding, depressing drama concerns the 19th-century painters who were collectively know as the Skaw (or Skagen) Colony. The group rejected the Impressionist style of painting, opting for the realism of natural light and using the lives of the poor fishing villagers as their inspiration. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stellan Skarsgård
- 1985
The understated farce of director-writer Lasse Aberg occupies center stage in this take-off on a Swiss ski vacation, with all the usual types on and off the slopes. This time the recalcitrant hero Helmer Ohlsson (Aberg) takes a disparate group along to Verbier, Switzerland for a little skiing. Herded around by the usual dictatorial tour guide, the group still manages to encounter enough fun and games to amuse everyone, while any confrontations inevitably lead to manipulative baddies getting their dues. Even the shy, bumbling Helmer seems to come out ahead in this sequel to the highly successful Package Tour -- he actually gets the woman he wants. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lasse Aberg, Jon Skolmen, (more)
