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Undoubtedly one of the great Swedish directors, best known for his epic The Emigrants (1970-72), Jan Troell has dropped off the international map of late, so the all-round excellence of his latest film comes as a refreshing reminder of a gift for period detail so convincing that you can almost smell it, and rich, complex portrayals of flawed but all too recognisable individuals.

In early 1900s Malmö, Finnish immigrant Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen) is married to a violent, jealous drunk (a magnificent, cliché-banishing performance by Mikael Persbrandt), for whom she has borne numerous children. While searching for pawnable goods to buy food, she finds a camera won in a lottery many years earlier - but instead of buying it off her, local photographer Pedersen (Jesper Christensen) encourages her to develop what turns out to be a genuine creative gift. And then they fall in love, right? Yes, but in a chaste, low-key way that recalls Brief Encounter and In the Mood for Love - one of many subtle pleasures offered by this poignant, masterly film.

 

Michael Brooke on 26th August 2009
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