Euphoria (2019)

The self-sponsored death rituals for the rich people could be well arranged to accommodate with their last wishes before going away from this world. It's like buying a prepaid gift card for yourself, but no matter what, you've got to have money to buy and pay for it out of your pocket. There are people celebrating their birthdays, there are people pay tribute to themselves for their long and short existences in this world before they leave it. But there's a basic catch; you've got to have enough money to do either or both. We saw so many poor people who didn't know what their next meals were, they were condemned once they were born. Living became their immediate burden, so their birthdays meant nothing but curses they didn't have any right to choose or refuse. While what we've seen in this film about the prepaid arrangement for their earlier demises instead of their natural deaths were just so expensive, yet they would have the luxury to choose when and where to die unnaturally but peacefully. Death to these rich people seemed to be quite different from those condemned convicts to be executed with chemicals. Both rituals always got some witnesses when they drink their dosage to usher in the coma or to be injected with poisonous chemicals on the execution berth; the former choice we call euphoria, totally different from the scare-sh@tless death on the execution date.I would and could never comprehend why a birthday is so important to most of the people, rich or poor, and why facing the death would be so scary and fearful.You have to put yourself to become an ant; they are too many and they are facing unnatural deaths all the time, they don't celebrate their birthdays or need money to prepay for their thoughtful arrangement of deaths. We people who are alive never let go of an ant, as soon as we see it, we just kill it without any hesitation. Suppose you could treat yourself like an ant, your birth or death would never have to become so important.

The movie is made around seemingly simple story, but also with depth into it. Strange, bald and bizarre idea many will consider morbidly grotesque. Strong and difficult subject many could connect to euthanasia controversy - time to die - not rarely being treated as taboo. From different points of view of someone close, story puts us into very personal self-reflecting processes put only into a few days left for characters to confront their fears and prices. While the movie explores it mostly through their different lives of two sisters and confronted paths. It also gives a viewer introspective and self-reflection. Aside of shady intra-family relationships, there's an interesting spectrum of characters in the surrounding, showing how various and sometime even offensively different personal approaches to values, life and death can be. Made me think how someone's deepest struggle can be trivial to other, plus these days ever opened question of: altruistic Goodness/Openness vs. egoistic Badness/Selfishness... "Is there justice?"; fear "A" vs. fear "B" - how the viewer can project through many "conceptual approaches to The Ending" and through self-reflections in this sort of presented "prolonged euthanasia" process. I think the movie is a bit difficult and not for everyone's taste (simply too morbid and even grotesque so). But for others, it may put some hard thoughts into this ever-steep perspective. So as for me, may we come to the conclusion: that we should all be glad for what life gave us.

This one is so difficult to review and write about without spoiling it. I really like the story and all the actors show up and makes this an interesting story to follow. I never seen Eva Green in such a dark character like this. I really enjoy what she puts on the screen but many time I have to think when I watch the movie. Is that really her ? Charles Dance character is fantastic to watch. I really enjoy the talk he have with Alicia Vikanders character aside of his last scenes. The photo is pretty and the music works well. This aint a happy story to watch so if you are looking for something to cheer you up, this aint it. Im not much for taking sides in the controversial subject that this movie is about, but I figured that I really dont have to. I can sit down and just take in the movie as it is. I watched this at the Dragon in Göteborg at the Göteborg fesival and it was a great joy to listen to Alicia Vikander and Lisa Langseth doing a Q and A about the movie. This was the third movie with Alicia and Lisa working together and the fist international movie for Lisa.

"To be one with the night," said the poet Gunnar Ekelöf "one with the crowds of flowers leaning out of darkness to listen to something I had on my tongue to say but never got said." Two sisters aim to get this chance, this moment together. Emilie is an extrovert, a New York photographer, and Ines is her polar opposite. They drifted apart in their adult years and Emilie is trying to pull them back together again with a mystery, luxury trip she is paying for deep in Eastern Europe. Ines agrees to go, yet comes to regret her decision when Emilie insists upon confronting their shared past and altering their future. This deep meditation on life and mortality explores the nature of honesty and trust. It encourages us to live authentic lives, keep an open perspective and release internalized feelings. Actors Eva Green and Alicia Vikander are amazing, as is the supporting cast. I immensely enjoyed the classic introvert and extrovert clash. Even though it is a Swedish film, the actors speak English throughout. The soundtrack could have been better. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.