Director: Per Fly
Country: Sweden
Year: 2013
Duration: 1.51
Languages: sv, en
Category: Per Fly
Midnight Sun Film Festival, Sodankylä.
DCP with English subtitles viewed at The School, 18 June 2017
Harri-Ilmari Moilanen (MSFF): "For Sweden, jazz singer Monica Zetterlund is an iconic figure beyond measure. The biopic Monica Z (2013) is starred by Edda Magnusson who not only looks a lot like Monica Zetterlund herself but also plays the part of the protagonist exceedingly well. The result is a portrait that likely, for the most part, does justice to the idol. In the film, the character of Zetterlund is an equal combination of determination, sensibility and vulnerability. By default, director Per Fly values multifaceted methods of acting."
"Setting the focus of the events to a five year period between the 1950’s and 1960’s is a smart and practical solution: it offers enough dramatics both in the music and in Zetterlund’s personal life. “The Singer’s Road of Ordeal” would be an apt subheading for the movie."
"It includes events such as Z joining the orchestra of Arne Domnerus, breaking through with the song Sakta vi gå genom stan, the catastrophic Eurovision song contest of 1963 as well as the famous recording session with pianist Bill Evans."
"Furthermore, the broken personal life of Zetterlund is also illustrated; the problematic relationship with her father, various romantic relationships, her motherhood as well as her drinking problem."
"Bassist Sture Åkerberg (Sverrir Gudnason) is portrayed as the great love of Zetterlund and perhaps this was really the case. However, in the context of the aforementioned troubles, a romantic ending is too gentle a way to finish a film that otherwise works so well within the framework of its genre." (HIM) MSFF
AA: I saw for the first time Monica Z, the acclaimed Monica Zetterlund biopic with a fantastic performance by Edda Magnason in the leading role. A popular and critical success, it was the most prized Swedish film of the year. In this jazz musical biopic the quality of the music performances is high. Most amazingly Edda Magnason's interpretations of Monica Zetterlund's hits are worthy of the legendary originals. The production is good-looking, and the 1960s period feeling is convincing.
Monica Z is a well made mainstream entertainment film and a feelgood film. As a musical biopic it follows established conventions. There is a rise and fall scenario, but the film ends on an upbeat note as the matured Zetterlund enters a new stage in her life and career.
Memorable aspects:
Monica Zetterlund's first New York engagement in the early 1960s is interrupted since it is not possible for a male black jazz band to have a white female singer.
Zetterlund sings "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" privately to Ella Fitzgerald. Ella's comment: "When Billie sang it she meant it". Soon Zetterlund decides to switch to the Swedish language in her songs. She realizes that she does not know what it means to miss New Orleans. Instead she knows what it is to walk slowly in Stockholm ("Sakta vi gå genom stan").
The most important relationship is between father and daughter. Monica's father is a frustrated artist who never believes that Monica will become anything. First in the conclusion, after Monica has sung with Bill Evans, father accepts her as an artist. Fine and well, but there is a bit of an one-note approach in this current of the narrative.
This basic theme has an affinity with what is known in the Nordic countries as "the Law of Jante". It stems from the novel A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks (1933) by the Danish-Norwegian writer Aksel Sandemose. There are ten rules in the law, all to the tune of "do not think that you are anything special".
Funny caricatures of famous artists such as Vilgot Sjöman, Beppe Wolgers, Hans Alfredson and Tage Danielsson.
Losing in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963.
The marriage inferno with an insult contest between Monica and Vilgot.
Finally Monica stands up to father. "I must try new things all the time. You didn't even dare to try".
The digital projection was good-looking.
BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: DATA FROM WIKIPEDIA AND SVENSK FILMDATABAS:
BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: DATA FROM WIKIPEDIA AND SVENSK FILMDATABAS:
MONICA Z (WIKIPEDIA):
Genre musik - biografisk film - drama
Regissör Per Fly
Producent Lena Rehnberg
Manus Peter Birro
Skådespelare Edda Magnason
Kjell Bergqvist
Sverrir Gudnason
Originalmusik Peter Nordahl
Fotograf Eric Kress
Produktionsbolag Stellanova Film
Distribution Svensk Filmindustri
Premiär
10 augusti 2013 (Way Out West)
13 september 2013 (Way Out West)
Speltid 111 minuter
Land Sverige, Danmark
Språk svenska, engelska
Budget 40 miljoner SEK
Intäkter 51 miljoner SEK
ROLLISTA (WIKIPEDIA)
Edda Magnason - Monica Zetterlund
Sverrir Gudnason - Sture Åkerberg
Nadja Christiansson - Eva-Lena
Kjell Bergqvist - Monicas far Bengt
Cecilia Ljung - Monicas mor Margareta
David Hellenius - skivbolagsdirektören
Vera Vitali - Marika Nilsson
Johannes Wanselow - Beppe Wolgers
Oskar Thunberg - Vilgot Sjöman
Jörgen Thorsson - Tage Danielsson
Fredrik Lindborg - Arne Domnérus
Hedda Stiernstedt - Lina
Randal D. Ingram - Bill Evans
Rob Morgan - Miles Davis
Amelia Fowler - Ella Fitzgerald
Clinton Ingram - Tommy Flanagan
Hanna Ullerstam - Kerstin Wolgers
Harry Friedländer - Hasse Alfredson
Andréa Ager-Hanssen - Lena Nyman
Henrik Ståhl - Povel Ramel
MUSIKSTYCKEN (SVENSK FILMDATABAS):
Titel: It Could Happen to You
Av James Van Heusen
Johnny Burke
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Take Five
Kompositör Paul Desmond (1960)
Dave Brubeck
Titel: I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)
Kompositör Jimmy McHugh (1928)
Textförfattare Dorothy Fields (1928)
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?
Kompositör Louis Alter (1946)
Textförfattare Eddie De Lange (1946)
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Hit the Road Jack
Av Percy Mayfield
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Vera Vitali
Titel: Ta av dig skorna
Kompositör Povel Ramel
Textförfattare Beppe Wolgers
Povel Ramel
Titel: Sakta vi gå genom stan
Kompositör Fred E. Ahlert
Roy Turk
Textförfattare Beppe Wolgers (svensk text)
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: En gång i Stockholm
Kompositör Bobbie Ericson (1963)
Textförfattare Beppe Wolgers (1963)
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: My World Is Empty without You
Av Lamont Dozier
Brian Holland
Eddie Holland
Framförs av The Supremes
Titel: Monicas vals
Kompositör Bill Evans
Textförfattare Gene Lees (original)
Beppe Wolgers (svensk text)
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Gröna små äpplen
Kompositör Bobby Russell
Textförfattare Beppe Wolgers (svensk text)
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Bedårande sommarvals
Kompositör Toots Thielemans
Textförfattare Hans Alfredson
Tage Danielsson
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Vad en liten gumma kan gno
Kompositör Harry Woods
Textförfattare Hans Alfredson
Tage Danielsson
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Trubbel
Kompositör Olle Adolphson
Textförfattare Olle Adolphson
Framförs av Edda Magnason
Titel: Der Ritt der Walküren
Kompositör Richard Wagner (1870)
Titel: Ein Sommernachtstraum. Hochzeitmarsch
Kompositör Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1842)
Titel: Filosofisk dixieland
Kompositör Ulf Peder Olrog
Textförfattare Ulf Peder Olrog
Framförs av Alice Babs
Titel: Miss Mc Baren
Av Tommy Tausis
Anders Töpel
Göran Lagerberg
Danne Larsson
Tommy Blom
Framförs av Tages
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