Daybreak (2003) User Reviews

A movie about lies

[Mattias · 7/10 · 5 December 2003]

Most of all, this is a movie about lies, about how people lie to themselves and the people around them. A heart surgeon is constantly lying to his loving wife, an older woman is lying to herself about who is to blame for her failings in life and a married couple are lying to themselves why their daughter has disappeared from their lives.

Director Björn Runge has shown his versatility for the bizarre and grotesque before, e.g. the short En dag på stranden (1993) and so yet again. Also, the script has neatly woven together the three stories, we move from one family to the other effortlessly - when one family is having dinner, so has the next one, when one family is shouting and screaming at each other, so does the next one.

Despite this, I have a nagging feeling that it could have been even better. The plot line itself, interchanging between unrelated people, is similar to Svenska hjältar (1997). And as far as Pernilla August is concerned, this is one too many roles as a cheated wife this year.

Suburbian passions

[stensson · 8/10 · 27 December 2003]

This is a Swedish film about sexual jealousy, if anybody remembers that thing. Jealousy because of the past and because of the present. Jealousy which is totally destructive and sometimes irrational, but still including possible forgiveness.

This is about the bitter ex-wife who still after three years wants to be taken into a psychiatric clinic because of the divorce. It's about the surgeon, who is cheating about his job, his house, his mistress, but everything is revealed in the end. It's about the mason who arrives for a job at the house of a middle-aged couple and learns what real despair is.

This is hard to see and definitely not for children, although the violence is not extreme. Ann Petrén and Johan Eklund are almost magnificent and this ought to be sent by Sweden as candidate for the Academy Awards, although it's chances might be much doubted. Anyway this film is to be strongly recommended. The plot is extreme (and clever) but people like this do still exist.

A Swedish Tale

[ingelaallard · 7/10 · 22 March 2014]

By using a group of Sweden's best actors, Björn Runge is leading us through a film while he wants us to understand his message. As a Swede I recognize the desperation and the modern dilemmas the characters represent: upper-middle-class alienation, the exhausting pursuit of cash and middle-class trappings, paranoia and pill popping.

Björn Runge deserves credit just for keeping the multiple stories straight. He jumps around from one household furnished in Scandinavian modern to the next almost identical one. But his segues are seamless, and there's never any confusion about where you are.

This film may have been an inspiration for Ruben Östlund and his film "De ofrivilliga/Involuntary" (2008). Both are studies of human behaviour once the individual has reached a certain point in life or in a social situation. It is about social awkwardness & spinelessness, and male pride Some criticism of the welfare state Sweden can sometimes be present but above all, the movie is about resolution and to take responsibility for their life choices and actions. "If I turn around" is a reminder to listen and see each other before it's too late.

Ingela

incommunication, money and relentless rhythm

[aizkomendi · 9/10 · 22 September 2007]

Excellent film well worth seeing it. Three stories of different couples and families going through a crisis. The family environments portrayed depict various stages of incommunication: the story of the bricklayer features a couple of workdays where he neglects the common life with his woman and daughter to enlightening and corrective results, while on the opposite side, the couple that employs him has long lost the struggle of affection and relationship with their daughter to a desperate end.

The isolation atmosphere, loneliness, infidelity and lies pervade the whole plot of the film, where speaking out (sometimes violent) the untold and held back feelings seem to unravel the thing and let a beam of hope in.

The plot develops at a relentless pace, no moment to ease up or get bored.

feels like stageplay

[jditlev · 18 April 2004]

This one fell short of my expectations. I had seen the trailer with that GREAT moody song, and the trailer had a great dynamic and a sort of compelling sadness. After seeing the film, I must say that the song, which is featured several times throughout, is the film's strongest asset, unfortunately.

The whole film has a stageplay feel, reminding me of plays by fellow Swede, Lars Norén. The three stories don't gel that well, the set-up takes a really long time and the stories feel very contrived. One of the stories have an OTT satirical feel, without really being funny. Actually all the situations are OTT and stageplay-like unreal. The theme about mid-life crisis and priorities in life didn't appeal that much to me, maybe I'm just too young. For me the conclusions are banal (spend more time with your family, for example)

The film is rather bleak throughout, but uplifting, and full of dysfunctional family units. And a lot of screaming and yelling.

Still, interesting. But not a must-see.

less is less

[leforcat · 1/10 · 3 May 2010]

Take Swedish film of 2003. Take away Bergman, Moodysson, Jarl...

You're left with people bitching and puking, filmed with no concept and no direction.

Camera wandering aimlessly, 75% of it shaky close-ups. Dialogue obviously badly improvised.

Obscenities.

Good idea wasted.

I'm sure the actors had a wonderful experience, though.

If you're in for mentally exhausting experience of people quarreling - have a go. Others: beware!