Darling (2007)

The Worst Film Ever

From my favorite movies..

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film was voted by the Swedish Film Critics Association as 'Best Swedish Film of 2007', and with good reason. The film becomes a portrayal of Eva, and the emotional journey that she goes on. She is self-centered, egotistical and emotionally empty. But during a time of hardship she encounters Bernhard, and she gains a chance to escape from her carapace by actually considering someone else. But she is unable to make the complete journey and reverts to her empty ways. Meanwhile Bernhard should regard himself as hard-done-by, but he looks for the positives (in employment and the promised housing). The ending was great: Bernhard rides the bus but is smiling and waving, while Eva is in the luxury car but has reverted back into her blankness. Not everybody who looks attractive is really worthy! Can't imagine that Hollywood could ever make this movie as it shows a most subtle progression - but the progression is in reverse: as her finances go down, her emotional outlook goes up, and then vice-versa!; Hollywood would likely sickenly sweeten the ending by having Eva leave her boyfriend's SUV and join Bernhard on the bus!

Darling is my favorite type of film because the characters are multi dimensional. The director Johan Kling gets me inside the head of almost any character in a way that reminds me of the American director Todd Solondz. It's entirely character driven and the plot is just a background to get to know the characters and how they interact.Although set in an upper class environment Darling is not a film about the ways of the upper class specifically because the same kind of behavior as the characters display, shallowness and self centeredness can be found anywhere. Rather the film depicts differences between generations and what values have taken over in society. The young people in this film are putting too much value on what other people think of them, wanting to be admired and have the attributes that brings status rather than be loved for what they really are. It's more important to belong to the "right" group of people than that the friendships are real.The main character Eva is in the middle of this world, trapped in it. And the other big character in the film, Bernhard, who is much older and completely outside of that world is focused on being nice and positive as opposed to being self absorbed and gaining status. Unfurtunatly he also lets the world treat him as a doormat.All in all the film is very original and a good comment about how we treat each other and ourselves and how we let us get treated by others in society.

This is a nice little gem. Accustomed to the normal staple of Swedish film, meaning ham acting, high school morality and utter lack of anything resembling film magic, this was a surprise. Good, subdued acting, a twisting and turning storyline that keeps you unprepared for what's around the corner and a fresh and unsentimental approach to it's subjects makes this "a film for the person who doesn't like Swedish film" as one of my friends said after the film. Add to that some funny and intelligent dialogue with the occasional one-liner and you have a film that is truly enjoyable and lingers in your mind afterwards. During it's one and a half hour it grinds itself slowly into some true and important insights of contemporary life, as well as eternal truths (yeah, really). Could have been a bit longer though, because the end comes about a little abruptly,

I'm no regular commenter but I noticed there was none so I'll make a brief and simple one.I liked this movie, it had a nice feeling and the characters were really cute. It's is about a young girl living and going out in Stockholm's richer areas. The problem is all her relationships with her friends and lovers are really superficial. Which she finds out for herself early in the movie, she also finds a true friend but she has troubles having a "real" relationship. The music was a bit repetitive but I liked the camera work. It also felt real, I live in Stockholm and in the area where it takes place and it felt real and like it in some ways truthfully reflected the life's of "brats" in Stockholm (there are spoiled who aren't brats in Swedish culture, it really doesn't have the same meaning as in English)