Poignant film about village life in Sweden. Primary focus on small boy. Portayal of several relationships seems fairly insightful and strangely not cliche. Great use of music and adequate philosophical musings. Many touching scenes, good scenes. Time heals all wounds. There is a haziness to the film, which makes the images seem even more dreamlike and other-worldly. Or maybe it’s just the graininess of my cheap VHS copy. Autumnal colors remind of an Eric Rohmer film. Also could think of this film as Cinema Paradiso light, or double light maybe. Mother son relationship (which comes complete with more stoic older brother) is much more sympathetic than Burr Steers’ later handling of same theme in Igby Goes Down. [timeout]