Is there anything in FA you think could have been improved

Discuss Lukas Moodysson's first feature film Fucking Åmål (Show me Love).

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Is there anything in FA you think could have been improved

Postby M83 » Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:38 pm

Okay, before you all jump on me. Even the great films have some flaws or just pet peeves you have. Is there anything you wished FA did better, or more story they added to it, or a scene they could have cut out. I hope it lead's to a interesting discussion. I understand if anyone says nothing but if you do it's a not knock on the film just something you feel could have made something more stronger.

For me, I wished they added another scene or two with Jessica and Johan, just to make the scene at the end when Jessica hugs a heartbroken Johan (we assume that Jessica likes him). Just to show maybe Jessica and Johan had some chemistry and that as much as Elin and Agnes were right for one another that Johan and Jessica are exactly the same. Maybe I'm looking at it all wrong and should look at the film again maybe Jessica just hugs Johan cause she feels bad for the guy, nothing more and nothing less.

Although I understand the second part of the film is Elin's story, as it is about her accepting her love for another girl and just been her true self. I wish we had more Agnes as I feel she takes a backseat for far to long until the last 10 minutes or so, aside from the odd scene or two. I still think everything up to the first kiss is my favorite part of the film.

I wish we saw more with Agnes and her mum. I feel the Mum doesn't come out of this looking to great, while the Dad is just a loveable soul who means the best of his daughter. She's probably was miss popular in her school day's but I wished Moodysson just added a scene to show that she truly cares for Agnes and just like most parents she makes mistakes. I always got the vibe that she's not exactly Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People (who hated her younger son for the death of her favorite older son) but at the end it leaves Agnes Mum on the outs with her daughter. Maybe it's true to life that sometimes it takes a while to repair a relationship even between parents and children.

So my nitpicks are really just to add more flesh to the bones. at 1hr 25 minutes it wouldn't have hurt in my eyes to have added more scenes. By the way, The film is still one of my favorites so don't take this as me knocking it.
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Re: Is there anything in FA you think could have been improv

Postby fish » Sun Oct 07, 2018 2:38 am

M83 wrote:...The film is still one of my favorites so don't take this as me knocking it.

Not at all.
I agree with many of the things you say.

Jessica and Johan: At the ice rink Jessica told Elin that if she wasn't already going with Markus she would be attracted to Johan.
So I think that's where their later scene was leading.
That way the audience didn't have to feel so sorry for Johan. 8)

Everyone hated Markus anyway, so it didn't matter so much about him. :P

I also think both Agnes' parents were very supportive of her and would firmly be on her side when she came out.
It's just that during the film they had different ways of showing their support.
We parents can be like that. O-) :lol:

And yes, I'd love the film to be longer too.
Much longer.
I thought it was so good that I didn't want it to end. :oops: *:)* :lol:
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Re: Is there anything in FA you think could have been improv

Postby Ian » Sun Oct 07, 2018 9:32 am

Yeah I don't think Agnes' mum was a terrible person or would have disowned her or anything, she was just rather clumsy. I mean, her dad was too, but not in a way that really got Agnes' back up (invading someone's privacy is rarely a good idea).
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Re: Is there anything in FA you think could have been improv

Postby M83 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 5:34 pm

fish wrote:
M83 wrote:...The film is still one of my favorites so don't take this as me knocking it.

Not at all.
I agree with many of the things you say.

Jessica and Johan: At the ice rink Jessica told Elin that if she wasn't already going with Markus she would be attracted to Johan.
So I think that's where their later scene was leading.
That way the audience didn't have to feel so sorry for Johan. 8)

Everyone hated Markus anyway, so it didn't matter so much about him. :P

I also think both Agnes' parents were very supportive of her and would firmly be on her side when she came out.
It's just that during the film they had different ways of showing their support.
We parents can be like that. O-) :lol:

And yes, I'd love the film to be longer too.
Much longer.
I thought it was so good that I didn't want it to end. :oops: *:)* :lol:


you are right, about Jessica saying to Elin that she said she would have chosen Johan instead of Markus. I totally forgot that, just that little line or two makes up for doing everything so it doesn't hit it's audience over the head. Markus is such a dislikeable sod, we're just happy that Jessica sees sense at the end . What I love about Johan and Jessica is, unlike Elin and Agnes, they'd be happy enough to stay in Amal. They'd be happy to play their bingo, watch TV, hang out with their friends at the local bar and do their 9 to 5 jobs. That's where I imagine what they'd be doing now, probably with a kid or two lol. That's why I think Erica Carlson and Mathias Rust deserve so much praise, as they did so much with so little to make you care about those two characters.

With Agnes Mom and Dad, maybe I'm reading between the lines a bit too much. But I always think that back when Agnes Mom and Dad were young. That Agnes Mom was a bit like Elin,the cool untouchable popular girl and Agnes Dad was probably an unpopular type like his daughter (that's why her dad understands her better cause he was just like her). A bit like Agnes, he probably got the popular girl who was Agnes Mother. Maybe that's why her Mom, not in a bad way, can't believe she's not following after her footsteps as Miss Popular. That this is the first time in her life she has to deal with these problems. Maybe I'm too harsh on her, she definitely cares for Agnes.

Ha Same as myself :D. It's amazing that it's all under 90 minutes cause it does fit in a lot of stuff in that time.
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Re: Is there anything in FA you think could have been improv

Postby fish » Tue Oct 09, 2018 4:56 am

M83 wrote:...It's amazing that it's all under 90 minutes...

Exactly.
There'll always be slightly different viewpoints on many things, but that's good, it shows how much people still care for Agnes and Elin and the crazy little Swedish film they were in. Image
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