Show Me Love (1998)
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Show Me Love Movie Review
Show Me Love (Fucking Amal) is a 1998 Swedish teen romance film directed by Lukas Moodysson and starring Alexandra Dahlstrom and Rebecka Liljeberg. It’s lovely.
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“Hi. This is my new girlfriend Agnes. We’re gonna go fuck“
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It follows a romantic relationship that develops between two seemingly very different teenage girls. There are a bunch of lesbian movies out there, but those that deal with teenage lesbians are rarer in quantity. This movie coming from Sweden took me by surprise as I really did not expect it to be this sweet and wonderful.
Fucking Amal as the title would have been perfect for this film, but they ended up changing it later down the line, especially in order to qualify for the Oscars. But that name is amazing due to the film’s main theme of dissatisfaction about living in a very small town. Both of these girls know that their opportunities, particularly of a romantic variety, are bound to be limited in such a small town, and the film painfully well illustrates how desperate that feeling can be, in particular for teenagers.
As stated above, Elin and Agnes are very different. Elin is more popular, girly and obsessed with things that are in while Agnes herself is weirder, introverted and dressed more casually and with a pretty, but somewhat boyish appearance. The two couldn’t have been more different, which is the main reason why I found their relationship super realistic. Opposites attract.
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I personally bought their chemistry and the overall romance as it gradually developed and the two are so sweet together. It was very painful following the two’s hardships, but again incredibly grounded in reality. It’s only natural that a girl such as Elin would be closeted while Agnes would be suspicious. That coming out aspect was especially well realized, leading to one emotionally rewarding, powerful finale.
That final scene is amazing and iconic. The girls are trapped in the bathroom while everybody wants to know with whom Elin is in there. Eventually, they come out of the closet literally and figuratively, all the while accompanied by that unforgettable, hilarious and badass line of dialogue. The film is highly empowering without a doubt.
Fucking Amal is very well acted. Alexandra Dahlstrom is excellent as Elin while Rebecka Liljeberg is the standout as she sold every Agnes’ emotion and frustration wonderfully. I also just loved those scenes on the road and literally every scene between the two was super sweet and powerful. I wanted much more of those as the movie is way too short. Yes, that short length made it immensely entertaining, but it still led to an overly simplified, not that rich in plot points output, and that is my main issue with this otherwise very strong flick.
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The friend of Elin’s is well realized and so is the boy who is attracted to her. They are both humanized, which was great. The film works as a great depiction of what teenagers really are like. They all act tough and are cursing a lot, but this is all pretend. There are many moments here where you witness these are all just kids, and those moments ground the film and make it heartwarming. The direction, score and dialogue are great, but again the pacing and runtime are problematic.
