Everlasting Moments DVD Review

Everlasting Moments - An E1 Films Release

On DVD: September 8th, 2009

Rated PG for mature themes and violence

Running time: 131 minutes

Jan Troell (dir.)

Niklas Rådström (screenplay)

Jan Troell (story)

Agneta Ulfsäter-Troell (story)

Matti Bye (music)

Maria Heiskanen as Maria Larsson

Mikael Persbrandt as Sigfrid Larsson

Jesper Christensen as Sebastian Pedersen

Callin Öhrvall as Maja Larsson (age 15-22)

Nellie Almgren as Maja Larsson (age 8-10)

Birte Heribertsson as Maja Larsson (narration) / Aunt Tora

Our reviews below:

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Everlasting Moments DVD Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

Everlasting Moments is the story of a woman in Sweden who discovers a love of photography behind the back of her abusive husband. She takes pictures, and is entranced at how she can capture a moment. It takes place in the 1900’s. Anyone with an interest in classic photography or foreign cinema is sure to find it very interesting.

Everlasting Moments is a well made film. The acting is good, the cinematography is fine, and the music is nice. It’s also a very personal story for the director, Jan Troell. But at times it’s moments are far too everlasting. The film goes on for 131 minutes, even though the story could have easily been told in under 2 hours. It’s a very slow moving drama, and I found it’s scenes of abuse to be very tiring to watch.

The only extra on the DVD is the film's trailer.

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Everlasting Moments DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/4 (out of 4)

Based on a true story, Everlasting Moments is a Swedish film about a woman who lives with her alcoholic husband and her ever growing group of children. In order to keep her sanity, she takes pictures on an old camera that she finds at the back of their closet.

The story is told by her eldest daughter Maja's point of view. While the film is well made, it is very slow moving and often dark. Obviously, it is based on a true story, so presumably it is being told as it was.

Personally, I enjoyed watching it, in part due to the fact that I like hearing Swedish as a language. It is also an interesting film though. You can watch the trailer here. It's certainly not a bad film if you're interested in the story.

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Everlasting Moments DVD Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Review Coming Soon!

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Everlasting Moments DVD Review By Maureen

**1/2 (out of 4)

Review N/A

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Everlasting Moments DVD Review By Tony

**** (out of 4)

Everlasting Moments (Maria Larssons Eviga Ögonblick), based on the memoirs of Maja Larsson (Nellie Almgren/Callin Öhrvall), follows the story of her mother Maria (Maria Heiskanen), who held her large family together during the first two decades of the 20th century. While her husband Sigfrid (Mikael Persbrandt) worked as a longshoreman (when not on strike during this period of socialist unrest), did his military service during the 1st World War and later worked as a hauler, Maria helped make ends meet first as a house cleaner, then a seamstress, and finally as a photographer. Maria always stood by but also stood up to Sigfrid, through periods of abusive drunkenness and dalliances with a barmaid. When Maria found a camera won in a raffle and took it to the shop of photographer Sebastian Pedersen (Jesper Christensen) to pawn it, he encouraged her to try it out first, providing all the plates and chemicals she would need to take and develop her own pictures. Impressed by her photographer’s eye, Mr. Pedersen continued to mentor her and she soon took on clients of her own.

Now in his late 70s, Jan Troell has cowritten and directed this touching story with a sure hand, a fine cast including great kids and beautiful camera work by Mischa Gavrjusjov and Troell himself. Though over two hours long, it moves quickly, free of the brooding sometimes associated with Scandinavian films. The period of a century ago is flawlessly reproduced, reminding me of some of the best films from Canada such as Mon Oncle Antoine and J. A. Martin, Photographe.

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Consensus: ***1/4 (Out of 4)