Lukas Moodyssons second feature is an astute comedy of self-discovery and alternative delusion, set in a Stockholm commune in the mid-1970s.
Theres an abundance of characters to keep tabs on - ranging from a battered wife to a born-again lesbian - and its to the credit of Moodysson and his cast that we come to care about their shifting liaisons and ideological confusions.
Some of the fashion and philosophy gags are a tad trite, but the film avoids mocking the communes permissive, yet highly politicised, atmosphere, and, indeed, seems to lament the passing of an era in which folk actively believed that people power could change things. Moreover, its take on the greater good and the adults inability to gauge the impact of their lifestyle choices on their children is spot on.
