Storm (2005)

The first scenes are really tough and you'll think it's the centerpiece of the Movie because it is followed by the opening credits. It's not the last time you'll be wrong - the story is complex, but it's not too hard to follow its twists.In the beginning Storm is a very expensive looking SciFi-Thriller, interrupted by scenes of party-goers with their superficial chitchat talks, reforms into a superhero saga, makes the turn to some Silent-Hill-Looking countryside childhood drama and so on.But don't mind: it is not nonsense, it is a story leading back to some childhood experiences, and there has never been a more cumbersomely but entertaining way of getting to the point.And I liked very much the tough Eva Röse and the weak Eric Ericson, the usual role models exchanged, running through this set of graphic novels.

When I first saw the trailer for this movie I really got caught. For being a Swedish production it really is ambitious, especially the special-effects and other stuff that rarely been included in a Swedish movie before. The movie focuses on the young man D.D (Eric Ericsson),he's a man that think that he can manage to survive all alone, who lives in the Swedish capital Stockholm. His life is really enjoyable until the mysterious woman Lova runs into him and turn his whole world upside down, she's chased by some dark and evil men who wants to kill her. I saw the movie on a Swedish cinema, I loved it, for being a Swedish film it really rocks, I've never seen anything like it. Måns Mårlind, who created the Swedish series "De Drabbade" wrote the story of the film, he's an awesome story-writer. I recommend this movie to everyone who liked the movie "The Matrix", the whole atmosphere feels like the one in matrix, but that's my own opinion.

Stockholm urban loner "DD" finds his semi-yuppiesh existence in a tug-of-war between other-dimensional individuals — both good and bad. A Nordic "The Matrix" light? Not quite; the sci-fi hype or the "world is at stake"-story on a grand scale (as its trailers really hinted) slowly give way to something else. Sure, we have many urban fantasy elements with its comic book-flirts, stylistics and tongue-in-cheek-cheesy characters (and so-so effects). But these are just peripheral disguises. Filmmakers Mårlind/Stein actually open the emotional window on a psychologically personal level here, as the main core of the film unfolds. So the strongest reason to enjoy this movie is not its action or thriller bits. It's the moody, harrowing midsection of DD facing his childhood demons of guilt in his hometown — that is an unforgettable and visually stunning nightmare that would give even Ingmar Bergman cold shivers.This ambitious film-making team created something great with the formidable TV-series "De drabbade" a few years back. Let's hope they still have more to come within the Swedish cinema industry- it's much needed!6 out of 10 from Ozjeppe

I saw this movie at its World premiere at Stockholm's Film Festival. From the get go, this movie proves to be like nothing that has ever come out of the Swedish movie business before. At first, I though that was a good thing. Then I thought it wasn't that good. Then I thought what I really thought wasn't that good was the movie, while the IDEA that the movie tried something that was new to Swedish movie production, was good. Now I just hope that the people who fund Swedish movies don't see this one as a failure - because Storm, if successful despite its flaws, might give all the aspiring Swedish action directors (that I'm sure are hiding out there) a chance, and start a wave of awesome Swedish action/adventure/Sci-Fi/contemporary-fantasy movies. Something better than the movie itself might come out of "Storm".In Storm's Matrix-esquire introduction sequence, we see two characters running and fighting through dark culverts to get away from bald goons. It all looked very good, and Eva Röse proved to be a really convincing action heroine, which all really got my hopes up. "Are they trying to do it the Hollywood way?" I thought to myself - knowing that that would be tricky considering the history of and budgets for Swedish films don't allow a lot of the necessary stunts and special effects. Swedish films, in my mind, are mainly dramas about dysfunctional, broken people - movies that only make me feel bad. Even Swedish comedy doesn't go far outside that framework.Well, after the introduction sequence, things change quite a bit. Immediately, a narration with comic ambitions wipes the Matrix-esquire atmosphere clean off. The first thing I thought was "Oh, so now they're showing everyone that they're indeed NOT making an attempt to 'do a Hollywood all the way', by stepping off that vibe in the harshest possible way". I was very disappointed, but on the other hand, I hardly think they, as any Swedish filmmaker, would be able to pull off a "Hollywood". Look at "Rancid".Soon, influences from all kinds of weird places start to show up. As the movie continues, the viewer is required to digest a multitude of different story telling techniques and movie references - all in all not giving a very solid impression. There's the narrator talking directly to the audience. There's the comical flashback sequence. There's the emotional flashback sequence. There's blood squirting out of someone's neck, then there's the funny taxi driver. There's the Swedish countryside, then there's the Cuban beach. There are more something-moves-in-the-foreground-with-a-sudden-horror-music-cue scenes than I can remember. There are unintentionally comical cartoon sequences. There's the raising of the question "What is real, what is fantasy?" which has been made popular lately by movies such as "The Matrix" and "Vanilla Sky". The end leaves the viewer with some philosophical thinking to do, as the movie makers don't give you all the answers. At least some of those answers, I would like to have served.When it all comes together, these things don't blend all that well. It feels like the filmmakers thought "Wow, we don't know when's the next time we'll have THIS much money to make a movie - we'd better squeeze all those movie ideas we've had for the last ten years into this one production!".Nevertheless, the film becomes quite absorbing at times. The acting is good - especially Jonas Karlsson was great in his role - the camera work is superb, the production style sleek. It's amusing to see how much they make the old city of Stockholm look like "steel and glass".This all makes me hopeful. I encourage everyone who has the chance to go see this movie when it hits the cinemas, or rent it when it's released on DVD - because if this movie makes enough money we might see more, better films like this coming out of Sweden. I know know what I have long suspected - the will and skill is out there. "Storm" is not the hit - but it might give birth to the hit. I'm crossing my fingers.