Blu-Ray Review: Criterion’s ‘Everlasting Moments’ Has Timeless Power

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CHICAGO – Jan Troell’s “Everlasting Moments” is a beautiful film; a perfect fit for Criterion’s Blu-ray line in that it’s the kind of work that both could easily slip under the radar of movie history and not be granted the HD treatment that it deserves. There’s been some controversy over Criterion’s arrangement with IFC Films that has allowed some recent questionable inductions into the most esteemed collection in film preservation but I’m here to defend the inclusion of “Everlasting Moments.”

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

For me, the Criterion Collection has long been an education in not just the best films from around the world but some of the most underrated. In many cases, Criterion pulled films that time had forgotten into a new spotlight and allowed for a diverse understanding of the film canon. With the state of the arthouse cinema today, great films are being ignored before they even have a chance to be forgotten and one such film is “Everlasting Moments,” a movie that needs Criterion’s name to draw attention to it.

Everlasting Moments was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th, 2010
Everlasting Moments was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th, 2010
Photo credit: MGM

Troell’s film gained a pre-release reputation for at least one of the wrong reasons. This is the movie that made it impossible for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to even consider nominating the amazing “Let the Right One In,” one of the most beloved films of 2008 in any language. Due to an outdated and stupid rule, the Academy only considers one film per country and Sweden chose “Everlasting Moments” over Tomas Alfredson’s film. What the film proves now is simple — both films should have been considered.

Everlasting Moments was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th, 2010
Everlasting Moments was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th, 2010
Photo credit: MGM

The Academy’s dumb rules aside, “Everlasting Moments” is a lovingly recreated epic tale of a family in Sweden in the early part of the last century. Told through the eyes of Maja (Callin Ohrvall), one of the many children of Sigge (Mikael Persbrandt) and Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen), “Everlasting Moments” is a family saga told in two of the more significant years of the family and the country.

The true story of Maria Larsson starts in 1907 as political and social revolution is in the air in Sweden. Maria’s husband Sigge is a brash, loud, blue-collar man who abuses his family, drinks, and sleeps around. He’s not your typical Hollywood husband in that’s both charming and a complete scumbag. And Maria is not your typical battered wife, especially for her period. Shetakes control of her family and her husband often, keeping them together, but truly finds escape when she takes a Contessa camera that she won in the lottery to a pawn shop. The owner, Sebastian Pedersen (Jesper Christensen) recognizes that Maria has a photographer’s eye and encourages her to explore it. Don’t expect a traditional love triangle despite the clear affection Sebastian and Maria have for each other.

The second half of “Everlasting Moments” takes place seven years later. Sigge has been called up into the miltary and Maria begins to make money as a photographer. When Sigge returns, the blossoming wife and daughter don’t fit into his plans. “Everlasting Moments” is both a personal, beautiful tale and a story of the gradual shifting of a nation through socialism, worker’s rights, impending war, and even the development of gender rights. Major changes in the world are reflected in minor chords in the Larsson family.

Everlasting Moments was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th, 2010
Everlasting Moments was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th, 2010
Photo credit: MGM

Heiskanen and Persbandt give two of the best performances that you probably haven’t seen. Both actors refuse to play the archetypes that these characters could have become, making them feel completely genuine. The design and period recreation are flawless. The only flaw of the film is that it does drag a bit and the final act isn’t as strong as one would hope. The set-up is stronger than the climax or Maja’s summing-up of the movie via narration over the final scenes.

Hollywood doesn’t make movies like “Everladting Moments” any more. Epics this sprawling need a CGI gimmick to get financed and period pieces are a tough sell to the masses unless they’re pure Oscar bait. “Everlasting Moments” is proof that human stories will always deliver rewarding filmmaking when they’re made this well.

Special Features:
o New, high-definition transfer, approved by director Jan Troell with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
o “Troell Behind the Camera,” a short documentary made during production
o “The True Story of Maria Larsson,” a collection of photoographs by Larsson, with narration by writer Agneta Ulfsater-Troell
o “Troell’s Magic Mirror,” an hour-long documentary on the director’s career
o Theatrical trailer
o New and improved English subtitle translation
o A booklet featuring an essay by Armond White

“Everlasting Moments” stars Mikael Persbrandt, Maria Heiskanen, Jesper Christensen, and Callin Ohrvall. It was written by Niklas Radstrom & Jan Troell and directed by Troell. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 29th, 2010 and is not rated.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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