YOU, THE LIVING
A multinational effort from Swedish writer-director Roy Andersson, YOU, THE LIVING is an offbeat comedy that feels more like a sketch show than a film.
Written & Directed by: Roy Andersson Starring: Jessika Lundberg, Elisabeth Helander, Bjorn Englund, Leif Larsson Distributed by: Artifical Eye Film will be released on March 28th, 2008 in the U.K. Review by Michael Edwards
rating: 4
A multinational effort from Swedish writer-director Roy Andersson, You, The Living is an offbeat comedy that feels more like a sketch show than a film. Jumping between various tragi-comic scenarios, the narrative skips around various humdrum houses, bars and workplaces to show us microcosms of daily life that have the capacity to make you want to laugh and cry at the same time, all accompanied by a weirdly engrossing jazzy oompah band whose members frequently form part of the action. The characters range from an angry and put-upon Arabic barber to an abused music fan, and all represent little pieces of daily life that we so often find ourselves wincing or chuckling at (depending on whether they happen to or in front of us). It's not hard to see how this movie won acclaim on the international festival circuit. The ordinariness of its protagonists win it universal appeal and the distanced camerawork (there isn't a single closeup, nor even a mid-shot, throughout its duration) really give a sense of the isolation inherent in our postmodern society, but also give the viewer a much cherished distance from which to examine the curious antics gracing the scenes Andersson has crafted so well. The overall feel is one of disjointed unity, if such a thing is possible. By using the small skits in isolation, we are presented with a fragmented world, but by repeating settings of the everyday and moments of shared loneliness, misunderstanding, and absurdity You, The Living is infused with a warming sense of shared humanity that makes it all seem OK. The director himself said, "You, The Living is about the human being, about her greatness and her miserableness, her joy and sorrow, her self-confidence and anxiety. A being at whom we want to laugh and also cry for. It is a simple tragic comedy or a comic tragedy about us". I agree entirely, and wholeheartedly recommend you find a cinema showing this movie.rating: 4
YOU, THE LIVING is out at selected UK cinemas on 28th March.