Sa Som I Himmelen (As It Is In Heaven) (2004)
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Frida Hellgren, Lennart Jahkel, Ingella Olsson, Niklas Falk, Helen Sjoholm
Director: Kay Pollak
Screenplay: Anders Nyberg, Ola Olsson, Kay Pollak, Carin Pollak, Margaretha Pollak
Running Time: 132 minutes
One of those movies whose intent, I suspect, is to be uplifting, but almost borders on overt sentimentality to get us through to the end.
Nyqvist plays world famous concert maestro Daniel Dareus, whose genius is struck down in its prime by a heart attack, which he survives. Even though he has appearances booked solid for the next eight years, he turns his back on his career to settle in his boyhood home in the cold climes of northern Norway. Cue the local church choir to ask him to “help out”, which he does reluctantly, but soon warms to the task.
What happens next is a case study of how small town pettiness and politics can turn even the most well-intentioned person into a pariah.
Hellgren does well as the love interest, who has had her fair share of frogs and is looking for that prince who will not let her down.
Standout performances are from Falk playing the stuffy padre who at first encourages Dareus to help the church choir, but turns on him when he realises his power is being usurped, and Olsson as Falk’s wife, who is itching for freedom from the biblical constraints her marriage is under.
Ending felt a bit twee – contrived even – but overall, a good watch.
3.5 stars out of 5
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Film Peek Forum
It's an ok movie, your rating is pretty spot on.
However, it's a Swedish movie, not Norwegian. And he returns to his boyhood home in northern Sweden, called Norrland.
This was actually Sweden's Oscar nominee for foreign films few years ago.
Cheers,
peeker