Everlasting Moments (Jan Troell, 2008): Denmark | Finland | Norway | Sweden | Germany

Reviewed by Cora Hubbert. Viewed at the AFI Film Festival, ArcLight Hollywood.

As far as beautiful films go, I have to say that Everlasting Moments is one of the most gorgeous I have ever seen.  It is a story about a photographer, so aesthetic is a given, but the filmmakers out did themselves.  The entire time I was captivated by the simple yet stunningly artistic way the whole movie was shot.  It seems like each scene is a series of exquisite old photographs strung together to make this film. A film by Swede Jan Troell, it runs a little long and is somewhat redundant, but all faults are made up for with its brilliant acting and cinematography.  Sheer beauty doesn’t do it for everyone, but the story is intriguing and the acting very good as well. The film appeals to a very specific demographic, as a pretty slow-moving period piece about a middle-aged woman.

The story follows Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen), a mother of quite a few kids struggling with a drunk husband and little income.  She is forced to endure her husband’s public embarrassments, beatings, and infidelity, while raising her children and working at the same time.  She comes to find solace from her hard lonely life in photography and a certain photographer who helps her through the tough times by providing a shoulder to cry on and an artistic outlet for the modest Maria.  You really sympathize with the protagonist in this film, and one of its let downs is Maria’s inability to leave her husband.  Apparently she really loves him, but you just can’t figure out why.  The same old story of his coming home drunk again and making a scene gets a little boring after you get the point.  It becomes simply frustrating because Maria is so helpless. The story is narrated by Maria’s oldest daughter Maja, who we see grow  up over the course of the movie and who eventually inherits her mother’s hobby of taking pictures. This movie was one that I enjoyed very much, however I wouldn’t watch it many times over, mainly because of its length.  If you are photographer or appreciate the beauty of old pictures, then I highly recommend this film.