Product Details

• Actors: Michael Nyqvist, Frida Hallgren, Lennart Jähkel, Ingela Olsson, Niklas Falk
• Directors: Kay Pollak
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English, Italian, Swedish
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005JO3J

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Movie... , July 1, 2005

By	J. Corbin (Lund, Sweden) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I saw this movie in the theatre while I was studying abroad in Sweden and loved it. To be honest, I enjoyed this a lot more than any of the other oscar-nominated foreign films for 2005.

The story, while sometimes predictable and lacking complexity, is moving, touching and deeply personal. I also thought that it gave an accurate portrayal of everyday life in the cold regions of Northern Scandinavia.

The story centers around a famous Swedish composer who has become obscessed with his work to the point of physical breakdown. He is forced to leave his work and move back to the small village in northern Sweden where he grew up. When he arrives, you begin to meet and fall in love with all the wonderful people - well not all of them are so wonderful. The composer goes on to become the leader of the local church chior and uses his music to help lead some of the members through some troubeling experiences. I won't give anything away but you really need to see this movie.

Also, you should listen to the soundtrack. There are several very moving numbers - especially "Gabriellas sång", which is the theme song for the film.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Singing a Song of Heaven: Sweet Film from Sweden with a Strongly-Told Story, July 2, 2006

By	Tsuyoshi (Kyoto, Japan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"Så som i himmelen" ("As in Heaven" or sometimes called "As it is in Heaven" in English speaking countries) is a very sentimental, heart-warming, funny, and ultimately charming Swedish film that is not afraid of showing emotions. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year in 2004, in several ways this Swedish film reminds us of an equally sentimental and touching film "Les Choristes" from France, which was incidentally nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year in 2005.

I wrote about these things about Oscar because `As in Heaven' shares a popular theme - power of music - and despite some flaws such as rather stereotyped characters, the film manages to tell its story very powerfully to the end. And we all love music, and you know that.

The story is a familiar one. It is about the world-famous conductor Daniel (Michael Nyqvist) whose career is suddenly interrupted by illness. He is forced to go back to the small village where he lived as a boy. The people of this cold, snowy land welcome him as celebrity, and ask him to coach the local chorus group singing in a creaky church hall.

Now you know where the story is going. Daniel accepts the job reluctantly, and finds that the singers are far from perfect. Some of them are not nice to work with, and some have problems at home. Even Daniel himself has to confront his own life when he knows it's time to change, for him and for the community.

The film is, I thought, overlong with very unnecessary coda in Austria; some of the actors overact (like the tormented priest) and its rather metaphorical conclusion is hard to believe, but the film's story, familiar as it is, is strongly told with a chain of episodes. The most impressive part of the story is, for me, Daniel's love romance with free-spirited girl Lena, perfectly played by Frida Hallgren (imagine lovely Michelle Williams). In addition to the music, her sweet character is the brightest spot in the film.

Not everything works, I admit, and director Kay Pollack (after 18 year absence) probably needs more subtle touch when drawing the supporting characters like a housewife suffering domestic violence or an intellectually handicapped boy. I also read the complaints on the net about the film's being melodramatic and showing too much emotion, and though my impression about the film does not change, some of their opinions are quite understandable.

But I was very much attracted to the film and its characters in spite of (or perhaps because of) these sweet and sentimental moments. The film is not perfect, just like many other films in the world, but it is certain that `As in Heaven' has its power to move us with its story confidently told, positive attitudes toward life, and of course music as the bond to tie the community together.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As It Is In Heaven , January 25, 2008

By	Ricki (USA) - See all my reviews

I saw this movie on an airplane and rushed home to get my own copy, it was not available, too bad. This is one of the most dramatic movies I have ever seen. Although perhaps a bit overdone at times, it is about real life, helping each other, believing in each other and music, the tie that binds us all. It is strong adn wonderfully portrayed all the way through to the climactic ending. I wish everyone could get the chance to see this film.