Don't Believe the Hype

A Brilliant Conflict

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I was one of those eagerly waiting for the (belated) release of this movie when at last it arrived in 2010, and I was not disappointed. Now, four years later, I still find this story as fun and charming as I did then.For better or worse, this is a rather typical Swedish romantic comedy, with a rather typical love story at its center, but that's no reason not to see it. There are quite a few twists and turns to this story and Magnusson has done a great job of portraying both the Swedish political climate as well as modern and older popular culture and the Swedish society. Especially interesting, I think, is how being an openly homosexual politician is treated as a non-issue: it poses no real threat to David's political career. Instead, it is David's own struggle with his newfound identity that stands in his way and prevents him from seeing what is best for him as a private person, rather than a public person. The comedy is not only in the jokes about the Swedish culture and political parties, but in the identity crisis and the re-discovering of one's self that David goes through, gorging on goat cheese and watching rented Beck-movies, that anyone can recognize, understand and laugh at. In laughing at David, we also laugh at ourselves. To me, this movie is great. Fun, adorable and very spot on when it comes to the jokes. The acting is brilliant and I fall in love with David and Martin's love story over and over again, as I find it very believable and authentic. Mauro Scocco, while no favorite artist of mine, has provided the movie with an excellent soundtrack that can sadly never be fully translated into or justified in English, and there are several instances where not only the music but the lyrics carry the viewer from scene to scene, mood to mood, and it is beautiful.Unfortunately, I think a lot of the reasons why I love this movie get lost in translation. The English subtitles fail to communicate even half of the small jokes and hints that get tossed back and forth between the actors, which makes the English translation fall utterly short of the, in Swedish, excellent dialog. A lot of the jokes, particularly those about the different Swedish political parties, makes little to no sense if you are not familiar with their ideologies or the common prejudices about them. While it might be comprehensible why a Social Democrat-Liberal relationship is the Swedish equivalent of Romeo & Juliet, I don't think it comes across why this should be a worse stigma than being a homosexual politician in Sweden – or maybe that's just me. There are many things in this movie that a lot of people can relate to and enjoy, and to anyone who enjoys watching a realistic take on love and life, you should definitely watch it.

Four More Years is the lighthearted and charming story of a forty-something Swedish politician named David, the leader of a political party, whose wife Fia is his chief aide and adviser.In the aftermath of a disastrous election, which instead of making him Prime Minister as expected loses his party almost all its influence in parliament, David falls in love with Martin, a younger, openly gay leader of the opposition party that trounced David's in the election. (The movie was directed by the actress who plays Fia.) There follows an Adam's Rib sort of dilemma, with lovers on opposite sides of a professional matter of great importance to both - in addition to David's anxiety over coming out as gay.Americans will have a hard time believing politicians of opposing parties ANYWHERE can treat each other with unfailing mild-mannered courtesy, but it may well be true that Swedish politicians actually are civilized human beings, unlike the snarling savages who dominate American politics.And gay American men may not recognize the intensity of the passion between David and Martin. I think the two guys are very sexy, both individually and together, but viewers conditioned by the hairless twenty-something gym bunnies and feral copulation that distinguish American gay movies will find these two men unattractive.Anybody looking for fireworks - either political or sexual - will be disappointed in this movie; but as a look at how civilized, mature (but not old) gay men with serious interests outside of themselves might behave, Four More Years is a revelation and a welcome breath of fresh air in the world of gay movies.All the performances are good, the dialog is intelligent, the story is not as predictable as it could be, and there are some very entertaining supporting characters - particularly David's mother and Martin's father. I enjoyed the movie enough to watch it again right now.

.....title of this Great little Swedish film (actually released as: "Four More Years")(( RATING ADVISORY XXXX RATING ADVISORY: NC-90 / 18----No one under Age 90 will be allowed NOT to see this movie ))A CAST OF CHARACTERS (by order of importance, naturally): David Holst (Our Guy) - (played by: Björn Kjellman) ---- He's our Starched & Proper Male Lead, a Swedish Liberal Party big-wig. We meet as he's attempting to win an election against the currently in-power Opposition Party Prime Minister. Already married for 12 years to a strong, strong woman who manages his career, Our David is, in reality, a "Lost Liberal" adrift in a marriage of convenience. More to the point, he is, EMOTIONALLY, this wee, shivery lamb of a guy who we just want to reach out for and enfold to our breasts. Anyway, Readers, perhaps his situation is not so bad as all that. For at the least, he is nice looking...pleasant in temperament...and usually in control---when not being yelled at. (Oh, and he wears great neckties). YET...yet, what he really, REALLY needs is simply to meet "That Person" who can show him what he has been missing for about 40 years of his life....and then introduce him to WHO he really is. -- (( An Aside for your viewing pleasure...I don't think "That Person" is too far off right about now )).Martin Kovac - (played by: Eric Ericson...how original) ---- Good Golly....he's here already: "That Person" I just mentioned to you. And in the very pleasing form of our Male Co-Lead....who is Hunky....who is Charming....and who is (Yikes!) "OUT". Oh, my...oh, my. But even worse for Our Guy is that the delightful Martin is (Gulp!) an Up-and-Comer in the Opposition Party...you remember, the one David is trying to defeat. Nevertheless, Martin is Cool...he's Fun...he's Smooth, and oh so easy to be with. Always sunny-tempered and as steadfast as the Rock of Gibraltar. He's just the kinda guy everybody gravitates to. An even better way to see him is as "That Person" who will become the Shepherd to David's Little Lost Lamb. -- (( Leaving Martin for now, I'll just say that, out of everyone, this is the Guy I REALLY fell for. You wait and see for yourselves....he makes it so easy to do )). Fia Holst - (played by: Tova Magnusson...our Director, herself -- Who is, apparently, a "Bi-Something" or other) ---- This character is a "Man of Steel" (oops....I mean "Woman of ....."). And, as David's wife, she is sometimes a little Bitchy (well, if you were in this kind of marriage, wouldn't you be?). Fia is just a no-holds-barred Gal who, despite some surface gruffness, will come to recognize and accept what is in her best interests and those of her (Our) Guy. Actually, toward film's end you will definitely see her getting exactly what is coming to her...what she deserves (I know this may sound "harsh"....but you'll probably be laughing your heads off anyway). -- (( Leaving Fia for now, let me just say, look closely...and you'll find she is working on a little Surprise of her own )).Mamma Holst - (played by: Inger Heyman) ---- A hard-as-nails Roofer (er...I mean Mother) who often calls her son, David, whatever-the-Swedish-word-for-Schmuck is. She pulls no punches when it comes to telling him what he SHOULD HAVE done.Barbro.."The Shocker" - (played by: Lisbeth Johansson) ---- Kudos by the Dozen to whoever was smart enough to put into the script, this priceless character and the words that come out of her mouth. In a scene shot at dawn, she is on her knees, peeking into and knocking on a small, ground level bedroom window....trying to grab the attention of our rudely awakened David....as he's attempting to keep her from seeing "That Person" in the bed he's just jumped from. Folks, this is an Hilarious...Almost-Caught-Red-Handed scene. You'll be falling off your seats laughing.GENERAL THOUGHTS....PLUS SOME THINGS THIS FILM CAN TEACH YOU:And these 2 Hot Swedes are one of the cutest couples you'll ever run into (there's nothing Cold about Sweden)And did you know that wearing the wrong shoe size can lead to meeting (running into, actually) the Love of Your Life? And be wary of elevators....just one short ride with a certain "Someone"...and a person can become SmittenAnd what do you do when he's innocently standing there...spouting political parables? Why, you lean into...and kiss him, of course (Yummy)And this is a movie where you really get to find out what a guy might do to a Horny Baptist. So, like it or not....Take that!And when asking your Lover how many "Others" BEFORE you....ask only for a Ballpark Figure (saves Heartache)And have you EVER heard of "Punitive Wanking"? (Just think about it....Mustn't you punish yourself for having Impure Thoughts) And when you've caused a "Someone" to walk away.....That's when your heart feels Torn Out. Absolutely Wrenched from your chest! And, oh yes, there are Sad Moments....Misunderstanding Moments (BUT....don't you Folks out there dare give up on this)And now for My Final AND -- Bright RED...is the very best Color for these 2 Lovely Guys. Trust me...in the end, it is the color which will Warm Your Hearts!TWO FINAL NOTES:The DVD Extras "Behind The Scenes" shots are not captioned. NEVERTHELESS, you can easily tell these 2 Leads are having a ball with one another between shots. Makes for a Good and Fun Production, doesn't it?(You'll never have guessed): I've fallen in love with this movie.....Well, these 2 Guys, actually....David & Martin. Indeed, it's hard not to go back and revisit them every few days.

This is more drama than comedy but it does have it's comic moments. Mostly it's a drama about forbidden love and self discovery set against the backdrop of Swedish politics.Björn Kjellman is great as the politician who gets lost when his political career is floundering and finds that most of what he thought his life was about is false. If you are uncomfortable with men kissing you may want to give this a pass, but there is no gratuitous nudity or sex.All in all it was a surprisingly good understated comedy that is a great way to spend 90 minutes.