fucking-amal.com

Looking at the film now in my early 30's, viewing the film the last few times its got a more bittersweet feel to it and rather a sadder feeling .
Kinda missing those days (i was a teenager in the mid 90's, so dressed and acted a lot like those characters in the film) just feeling like maybe you didn't enjoy those year as much as you could have or just wishing you relive those moments. I find it tougher watching Fucking Amal these days then i did in my early 20's/mid 20's.

Just wondering does this crop up for fans of a certain age watching the film now?
or am i just the only one

I was past it when I first saw it.

No, "bittersweet" isn't the right word for me. But there are definitely changes in the experience, obviously having to do with getting older. It's now almost 13 years since I first saw it, and exactly 8 years since it took me hostage and occupied my entire life for quite a while. Today, my feelings for it are less tainted by a bittersweet memory of my days of growing up (which happened in the 80s, anyway, when things were waaaaaaay different - we had no mobile phones, for example ), but are rather focused on an aspect of the film which I more or less completely neglected eight years ago, namely the role of Olof. I've started to identify a lot with him (and also started to resemble him physically, I'm afraid ), and it now appears to me as if his "25-years-later"-speech is the keystone of the entire narration. I've also started to see some kind of alter ego of Moodysson in him. I am pretty sure that Agnes is a portrait of the artist as a young girl, so I read Pappa Olof's words as Lukas's message from the future to his own former self. I can so absolutely totally relate to that monologue, I hope to be able to remember it when someday I should have to comfort my own children.

I watched it yesterday, by the way. (And I only watched it twice since 2007, I guess.) One of the things I noted was that I experience it as running faster every time. It felt as if the whole thing lasted for only half an hour. I kept thinking, hey, is that scene already coming on, damn, so it's gonna be over soon. All that wonderful dialogue that I wished to revel in, swooshing past me mercilessly. I seriously considered watching it in slow motion.

kant1781 wrote:... I seriously considered watching it in slow motion.

I know what you mean about Olof's comforting of Agnes too.
That's really a tender, gentle scene which shows the love between father and daughter.
So well written and delivered.

kant1781 wrote:No, "bittersweet" isn't the right word for me. But there are definitely changes in the experience, obviously having to do with getting older. It's now almost 13 years since I first saw it, and exactly 8 years since it took me hostage and occupied my entire life for quite a while. Today, my feelings for it are less tainted by a bittersweet memory of my days of growing up (which happened in the 80s, anyway, when things were waaaaaaay different - we had no mobile phones, for example ), but are rather focused on an aspect of the film which I more or less completely neglected eight years ago, namely the role of Olof. I've started to identify a lot with him (and also started to resemble him physically, I'm afraid ), and it now appears to me as if his "25-years-later"-speech is the keystone of the entire narration. I've also started to see some kind of alter ego of Moodysson in him. I am pretty sure that Agnes is a portrait of the artist as a young girl, so I read Pappa Olof's words as Lukas's message from the future to his own former self. I can so absolutely totally relate to that monologue, I hope to be able to remember it when someday I should have to comfort my own children.

I watched it yesterday, by the way. (And I only watched it twice since 2007, I guess.) One of the things I noted was that I experience it as running faster every time. It felt as if the whole thing lasted for only half an hour. I kept thinking, hey, is that scene already coming on, damn, so it's gonna be over soon. All that wonderful dialogue that I wished to revel in, swooshing past me mercilessly. I seriously considered watching it in slow motion.

Olof role does become more important the older you get (i have no wife or kids by the way just his speech about its getting better as you get older is really really touching) and shows for me Moodysson never really gets enough credit for been a pretty damn good writer (fucking Amal and Together are wonderful screenplays up there with the best of Mike Leigh). I've only watched it twice myself in the last 4 years, just like you Kant i find it going by in a blur. The Sense of Joy is still there with every watch but its more darker then it was when i watched the film as a 19 year old. I Still love the film (Together is my favourite film from Moodysson now).

Aaargh, I might be forced to correct my statement on "bittersweet". Now that dreaded little movie is doing its poisonous work... You feel pretty normal the day after watching, thinking to yourself, "My my my, it doesn't have any effect on me any more", but 48 hours later you wake up with that burning stone in place of your heart (to quote Spain_1 from years ago)...

Well, it might be that way for you, Dave.

Personally I never wake up feeling normal.

kant1781 wrote:Aaargh, I might be forced to correct my statement on "bittersweet". Now that dreaded little movie is doing its poisonous work... You feel pretty normal the day after watching, thinking to yourself, "My my my, it doesn't have any effect on me any more", but 48 hours later you wake up with that burning stone in place of your heart (to quote Spain_1 from years ago)...

Ah a film about Teenagers falling in love that leaves you regetting a misplaced youth or wanting to beyoung again has to be given a pat on the back.

no, probably more cute