Review of Everlasting Moments (2008) by Joshua T — 31 Dec 2009

I kept looking for deeper meaning in this Swedish film, to understand all the praise which it has received. And, after reading some comments and reviews, some people noted that the cinematography is supposed to replicate turn-of-the-century photographs and other clever ideas which may or may not be true but which didnt enhance my appreciation.

I thought that this was a simple story about a woman, a mother with an abusive husband and a brood in town, whose photography helps her to see beauty in her arguably beauty-devoid world. As she shares her photographs with others, she also propagates the effects of her beauty-spell, making bearable and beautiful the misfortunes of the world (a drowned child, a retarded child). She even changes the way she is perceived by her drunkard, philandering husband and, perhaps in the end, how she sees herself.

The acting and characters are what helps this movie stand out.