Jessica Zanden Movies

Not many people know about it, but there is a sizeable Swedish Jewish community even today. In this story, the sixtieth birthday of Cohen-family matriarch Rosha is the occasion for a gathering of her children from the diverse places around the world where they have settled. The central character in this drama, however, is Angelique, whose interest in psychoanalysis has earned her the nickname of "Freud." Her older brother is gay and lives in Florida with his lover. Her older sister has married into an Orthodox family, and lives in Jerusalem. They have all gathered in Sweden for their grandmother's birthday. Meanwhile, Rosha's daughter, the mother of these diverse children, has taken ill and is in the hospital. She has been diagnosed with a very advanced, inoperable brain tumor. Freud, who never left home, is perhaps as upset by this news as anyone, and she startles everyone by going out and beginning an affair with a biker. However, she is deeply involved in the new situation: she insists that their mother be brought home from the hospital rather than being allowed to suffer and die there, and the party, now a much more dramatic event, eventually takes place. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this odd comedy-noir, Marten (Jakob Eklund) has just gotten out of prison. He immediately seduces his prison-buddy's girlfriend (Helena Bergstrom). When that same buddy (Claes Malmberg) shows up on the scene, rather than being infuriated at either one, they all form a household. Neither man is sure who is the father of the child the girlfriend is now pregnant with, but they feel driven to feats of enterprise with a child on the way. Their idea of the perfect life is to buy a portable Ferris wheel and drive it all around the Swedish countryside in the brief summertime, and loaf the rest of the year. Just now it is winter, and they haven't the money to pursue their dream, so they travel to the countryside, cut Christmas trees off of someone else's land, and sell the stolen trees in Stockholm. When the tree-farmer objects to their activities, they murder him, and are soon on the run from the police. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In what has to be one of the worst ideas in Christmas party planning history, Swedish house wife Sara (Katarina Ewerlof) decides to celebrate the yuletide season with her three ex-husbands and their families. Though her current spouse Janne (Peter Haber) initially is quite opposed, he eventually gives in. At first, the party -- filled with adults and children alike -- recalls the gauzy warmth of the famous Christmas scene in Fanny and Alexander (1982). Then the booze kicks in. Families start infighting. Janne grows increasingly annoyed as the guests make repeated references to having sex with his wife. And during dinner, Sara announces that she is pregnant. This strikes Janne as odd considering that he had a vasectomy a year before. Soon the party devolves into utter chaos. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi