SnoopyStyle
Åmål is a provincial town in Sweden. Brash popular Elin Olsson finds life infuriatingly boring. Agnes Ahlberg has a loving family but her school life is tough. Her only friend is wheelchair bound Viktoria. They are picked on by Elin's friends. Agnes is secretly in love with Elin and so is a boy named Johan. Agnes' parents throw a birthday party for her and only Viktoria shows up. Agnes has a tantrum insulting Viktoria who leaves. Elin shows up with her older sister Jessica as she tries to avoid Johan. Elin kisses Agnes on a dare and leaves. Elin goes to the other party where she gets terribly drunk. Elin is guilt ridden, and goes back to apologize to Agnes just in time as Agnes tries to slit her wrist. Elin falls for Agnes but fears being found out.It's the raw emotions of teenage coming-of-age stories. It is hormone-filled. It is the scariest of fears and the highest of love. The two girls are perfect. Love is messy and ultimately uplifting. Agnes at her birthday is painfully raw emotionally. This is one of the best teen love movies.
Irishchatter
We see a young girl called Agnes who hasn't got any friends and has never been kissed. On the night of her 16th birthday, at first I felt sorry for her because no one came and the fact her own mother forced her to have the party. I would be the same if I ever had a daughter with worry but like I wouldn't force her to have the party if she doesn't want to throw one! Then I found it really unfair that Agnes told the friend on the wheelchair to get lost due to the fact she can't walk. Like we knew she didn't have a great party but at least her friend made the effort and Agnes just blames her disability like the hell? Didn't the writer think twice about writing this story?WIth party girl Erin, why did she even lie to everyone that she was interested in that Jonah buck? She wasn't trusting her heart really and i don't know why the girls got together in the end.The movie is pretty much messed up and a waste of time for me to watch again :/
elisafuk-663-399249
I watched the film about 2 years ago as the Swedish actress in my short film talked about it.I was a bit put off by the title as i felt that it was too rude . Anyway the film was very funny about the awakening and coming of age of a lesbian and her girlfriend - both trying to get the courage to come out of the closet ( actually the toilet - sorry spoiler!) I would definitely recommend it in schools and for teens etc , for a more mature audience I would recommend KISS MIG which is actually for older LGBTOn the whole though I liked it , great acting etc and you could really feel the "dead endness of the town" although i must say in reality AMAL is a great place ...
Tim Kidner
After seeing how Lukas Moodysson's debut movie is alternatively spelt - and which actually works in the Amazon search engine - !! - and like a number of people had seen his bleak and difficult to watch (if rewarding) Lilya4-Ever first, I had actually put off seeing this realistic and well written/acted little drama.A massive hit in its native Sweden, Show Me Love could have run like so many U.S. 'coming out' dramas, but it has a low-key honesty, a sort of intimacy in the way it's filmed and above all, the main characters are actually likable, which is often not the case with American flicks. And, being Swedish, is just a little bit more interesting (as is comparing how similar so many of their words are to ours.)Refreshingly, the situations never seem contrived; bizarre at times, yes, but even I remember teenage years and like many, wanted the world to swallow me up. The frustration and angst of the girls, Elin, Agnes and Jessica, especially Agnes', who is mentally doing cartwheels as she questions the whole, oh, so complex meeting and mating game. That pretty blonde 15 year old Elin snatches a kiss with her for a bet, well....watch it and see!A few professional reviews have brought down the overall merit of the film by saying that it treats the boys in the film as boorish morons and in that, it is one dimensional - and all that. Well, yes, teenage boys CAN be and often ARE un-thinking oafs, as they are here, but in a movie that quietly champions young lesbianism, then it's obviously going to portray the girls in it as sensitive and interesting people and the "opposition" in the way that it does.It's not a brilliant movie but what it sets out to do, it does modestly and with its target audience clearly in its sights. It's well made and of sensible length (85mins) - even the grainy, semi Dogme style of natural lighting fits the warmth and intimacy that it generates. There's genuine, but subtle wit - attempting to overdose on antacid tablets to get high before a party might be a cliché but just is so superbly done, here.I'm glad I've now seen Show Me Love. It shows a softer, more personable side to Lukas Moodysson - just as well, as I'm lucky to own his 4 DVD boxset, of which this DVD is part. Buying the set was about the only way I could get Show Me Love plus 3 more, including the aforementioned Lilya4- Ever.
