Show Me Love or Fucking Åmål as it was originally titled, is one of my favorite films. It is smart, funny, dramatic and above all honest and true. It gives me great pleasure to introduce this film to people who would otherwise never have seen it, and even greater pleasure when they enjoy it us much as I do.
It is such a simple film made on a tiny budget using hand held cameras (yet it out grossed Titanic at the box office in its native country!!), anyone familiar with its director Lukas Moodysson, will know the style of film making he is famous for. Show Me Love is set in Sweden, yet its story is universal. The film is about Agnes, a teenager who moved to Åmål a year ago, she is an outsider at school and is suspected of being a lesbian, the fact that she is, is the basis for the movie. Agnes is in love with Elin, the popular girl. Elin doesn't know Agnes even exists. Through a twist of fate Elin and her sister end up at Agnes birthday party where, as a dare, Elin kisses Agnes before both girls run away laughing. I make it sound as though the film is about sexuality and whilst it does cover this issue, the film is about so much more. It is one of the truest representations of repressed teen angst and small town living I have encountered, we feel for Agnes, we are shown her family life and loving parents who don't understand her , but want to. We see the opposite in Elin who goes out partying, disobeying her parents and relies on magazines to tell her what is cool or not. After the kiss, both girls are changed, but for different reasons and it is great to see the film explore their actions and understanding of themselves as it unfolds.
Show Me Love opened my world to Lucas Moodysson, I appreciated his style of film making, I enjoyed Together, I was forever changed by Lilya-4-eva and A Hole In My Heart left me disturbed on levels I didn't even know I had... I still think Show Me Love is his greatest achievement and that it will remain on my top 10 list for some time yet.
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