Sånger Från Andra Våningen (Songs From The Second Floor) (2000)

It's safe to say I have a thing for Swedish films. I assume this is only because Norway's cinema doesn't have the same worldwide renown (though I am eagerly awaiting O'Horten to finally come to a goddamn theater near me). There's just something about really cold people in films that really speaks to me, apparently (this might explain why I also like Canadian Bacon). But I think Sweden is special. Like France, which just has that unique, French quality, Swedish films seem to thrive by being so Swedish.

Songs From The Second Floor is very Swedish. The movie moves at the current walking speed of Ingmar Bergman (hint: he's been dead for 2 years), I don't think there is a single camera movement in the entire film, and everything about it is bleak. It's also remarkably funny. I'm not sure I would go so far as to call this movie a black comedy, but I think that would be a fairly good description.

The movie is something of a modern dystopia. The economic scene in Sweden is less than favorable and everyone is trying to leave the unnamed location of the film without any explanation.

What really makes this movie special is the complete surreal world director Roy Andersson creates. The sets look real enough that you could not notice how much of the film was shot in studios (I'm guessing almost all of it), yet the backgrounds also look like muted stock from Edward Hopper paintings. This film really brings to mind the outrageous spirit of Spanish auteur Luis Bunuel, with a reserved Swedish delivery. Additionally, these sets are supported by the bizarre happenings of the film, which range from an unexplained fire to a human sacrifice, all within an enclosed, corporate world.

Definitely not a movie for the impatient viewer, Songs presents a lot of potential frustration if not seen in the right mood. The humor is delivered in deadpan stares, similar to a Wes Anderson or Jim Jarmusch affair. To give you an idea of possible reactions to this film, I heard of it when two classmates were discussing it in my Norwegian class, having seen it in their Scandinavian film class. One student asked the other "You actually liked that movie?" Similarly, while I laughed quite loud throughout quite a bit of the movie, my mother who was watching with me, fell asleep a number of times during the films duration. It's one of the few movies I've seen recently that I was sad to see end, but for some, I'm sure the hour and a half run time seems closer to an eternity.