LET GO/ Släpp taget

Sweden, 2024, 110 minutes, Colour

Josephine Bornebusch, Pal Sverre Hagan, Sigrid Johnson, Ollie Tikakoski, Leon Mentori, Tone Danielson.

Directed by Josephine Bornebusch.

An unexpectedly involving and moving family drama, the story from Sweden but with universal overtones.

Credit must be given to Josephine Bournebusch, veteran actress, but writer of the screenplay here taking the leading role of the mother, and directing the film as well. She achieves each task so very well. Her presence is complemented by Pal Sverre Hagan as her husband, initially alienating the audience but going through quite a dramatic arc in the development of his character.

In fact, the husband is seen as a family counsellor at the opening of the film, listening and gently advising, and then returning home to chaos in the house, his exasperated wife, the teenage daughter having tantrums and intending to compete in a pole dancing competition, the young son with various food allergies and consequent irritated and irritating behaviour. He is in a relationship and announces that he wants a divorce.

His wife refuses to discuss this until a lot of the family matters are settled, their all going to the competition, the sympathetic help of the husband’s mother, the daughter being held by the son of the organiser of the pageant, the tensions in the travel, the father losing his daughter’s costume during travels and trying to compensate, her perpetual angers, and continued troubles for the son. And the background of the woman with whom the husband’s relationship, her feelings and angers.

We, the audience, are very much involved, sympathy for the over harassed mother, no sympathy for the husband, exasperation with the behaviour of the children.

After the competition, a certain amount of reconciliation, and then a plot development which was also unexpected and makes demands on everyone, a catalyst for some kind of healing.

1. A film of family life? Realistic? Swedish? Universal?
2. The Swedish setting, the home, schools, therapy office, the Swedish countryside, the club, the competition? The musical score? The songs and lyrics throughout the film?
3. The opening, the focus on Stella, her age, with her two children, the absent husband, her anxieties, angers, controlling, the relationship with her son, five years old, the contrast with her relationship with Anna, teenager? The film illustrating the tensions with the extended scenes, Anna and her assertions, anger, her mother dominating, wanting her own life…? The boy, playful, determined, demanding, his coeliac condition?
4. The credits and Gustav, close-ups, his speech, his therapeutic advice? To the couple? Emphasising the irony of his inability to listen and give advice, failing in his own home? The revelation of his affair with his partner, talking with her, her commonsense at his family, her therapy listening?
5. Anna, the situation, the pole dancing, her parents’ reaction? Wanting to go to the competition? Her appearance, blue hair, teenage, rebellious?
6. Stella and the confrontation with Gustav, her intense talking, his listening, but inability to listen properly, his own personal anxieties? Wanting the divorce? Stella, her reaction, in the bathroom, breaking down, but her strong face to the world? Her determination that they all go to the competition? The demands?
7. The travelling, the suitcases, her doing everything, Gustav standing by, phoning his lover, and his eventually forgetting Anna’s case? The arrival, his mother, his attitude towards his mother, her attitude towards him, his mother’s love for the rest of the family, this staying the night, Gustav to light the fire, his failure, the cold night, moving to the hotel, at the service station, the little boy playing up, wandering away, Anna and the magazines, to the hotel, settling in?
8. The long sequence of the confrontation between Stella and Gustav at the service station, the issues, articulated by Stella, Gustav and his reaction, how much truth on the part of each? How much failure on the part of each? The children observing?
9. The competition, the host and her exuberance, Gabriel and his work? The rehearsals? Anna and her desperation and anger, her father forgetting the case with address, the poll? His taking her to the shop, the angry interactions? His promises? The new dress, the gold spray paint?

• Anna and her talking with Gabriel, mocking his mother, not realising, apology? The bonding, discussions? His work in getting the beer? But his also competing? Her performance, inviting him on stage, the dance, the response? But not winning?
• The grandmother coming, shouting, the placard, confronting her son?
• Stella and Gustav, sitting together, the applause? The effect of their talking, each giving way? Stella and her dancing by herself and the aftermath? The son, eating the pizza, the reaction, hospital, his father tending to him? Gustav and discovering what it was like to be with his children?
• The reconciliation, tentative, each missing the other, admitting the truth? Gustav prepared to take responsibility?
• The revelation of Stella’s cancer, its affecting the way she lived, treated the children, wanting security for them when she died?
• The therapy session, Stella bald, the talk, Gustav with her, the other couples at the session? A resolution to the film and themes? The farewell to her children? And the aftermath for them, life without her, Gustav and his break with his lover, finding fulfilment in his family?