This is How Movies Should Be Made

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

We watched this Swedish comedy on cable recently, and while it is not exactly a film that breaks new ground, it is enjoyable as it takes the audience into parts of the country where not too many movies are set. The basic premise is prejudice against intruders that dare to come to a small conservative community acting in a manner the locals are not accustomed to see.The film is directed by an Englishman, Colin Nutley, who also wrote the screenplay in which it is based. Sometimes outsiders can discover things that most citizens of the land, in which the action is set, would never imagine, and therefore, he can be more objective in his approach to tell a story that is fresh and make it fun to watch.The vivacious Helena Bergstrom is Fanny Zander, the granddaughter of an old man who did not get to know her at all. Having lived in Berlin and toured with her act all over Europe, she represents an intrusion no one likes. To make things worse, she is now a landowner whose land is coveted by the greedy Axel Flogfalt, whose ambition is to exploit it for his benefit. Along the way, Axel discovers a dark secret he was not ready to face.Colin Nutley's comedy that will get laughs from the viewer; a welcome change of pace from more serious fare from Sweden.

Why this film hasn't been made into a kind of "Ambassador movie" for Sweden, incorporated into any of the pro-Sweden sites on the web is a mystery. And the irony of it all is that it's made by an Englishman, not a Swede. But, an outside eye sees so much more than that of a native one.First of all, I want to emphasize the quality of the music score in this movie, as it's the true highlight of the production in good company of a well written story and very nice acting by all participants. One can easily go buy the music (prod. by Björn Isfält) without even seeing this movie, and it'll still mesmerize you in the same way the film does. I've also heard that the actors played without much of a script, instead improvising on a bare-bone story explained by the wonderful director Colin Nutley.Helena Bergströms character Fanny has that natural bubbling laugh and 24-carat happiness that comes thru so well in this film, nicely contrasted by the calmer, darker side of Zac (Rickard Wolff). They are the eye of the storm of which the revolving happenings spin. The spinning isn't that of a big-budget action movie, but what a relief when you start to know the characters, as they are immensely more interesting than any gunslinging desperado. The music, the Swedish summertime and small-time dealings in a village on the countryside is what you need to have a great time. Nothing more, nothing less. I will not give any spoilers as that would ruin the whole setup. See it and maybe you want to come experience the Swedish summer, one of the most enjoyable things in the world. 8 out of 10.

In "House of Angels", a staid, bucolic Swedish village is all abuzz when a lovely and vivacious young woman comes to town to claim the estate of her late grandfather. A charming, warmhearted, and fun little romp which is not so much a story as it is a study of human nature, the film seems to delight in evincing the community's eccentricities as it reverberates like jiggling Jello with the disruptive influence of its latest resident. "House...." should be an enjoyable watch for more mature viewers, especially females, into foreign flicks and people watching. (B-)

Colin Nutley has a way of finding what truly is Sweden where Swedes themselves would search for such clarity. Fanny and Zak are great characters, come to an isolated village out in the Swedish "landsbygden" and Nutley exposes Sweden through the juxtaposition of two conflicting life styles. There are scenic shots in this movie which make any lover of Sweden sigh with bliss. Those that claim that this is the Englishman's finest movie are probably right - it's a true classic.