Amazing Women by the Sea
Ihanat naiset rannalla (Underbara kvinnor vid vatten)

Available on DVD

Finland/Sweden 1998 colour 100 min

***½

Drama

cast: Åsa Karlin (Rosa), Marika Krook (Bella), Onni Thulenius (Thomas), Nicke Lignell (Mr. Ängell), Micke Rejström (Kajus), Irina Björklund (Renée, 17), Outi Paasivirta (Renée, 9), Janina Frostell (Viviann), Johan Storgård (Pusu), Johanna Af Schulten
credits: dir. Claes Olsson, music Yari, script Tove Idström, based on a book by Monika Fagerholm, prod. Claes Olsson with Karl Baumgartner, Börje Hansson and Susann Ingberg

This movie is full of pretty scenes. Nostalgy, laughters, love and amazement. Most of the time we'll see everything trough little Thomas' eyes. Beautiful summer holidays, his ex-mermaid mother (singer Marika Krook), his jazz-loving father. We get also the boy's view to their summer neighbours, who have a shiny boat, lots of money and a strange daughter. But not everything is fine. The little boy can not understand adults who cry and scream. His mother (Marika Krook) falls in love with her somebody else's husband and all starts to go wrong.

Critics have crushed the whole film. Maybe after many years they understand it better? After all, it is more than just a collection of nice pictures...

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