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Recensionen på svenska

After six years imprisonment Malaci is released from prison. The accusation is sexual molestation of the twelve year old Echo, a crime that he denies. He claims that the only thing he ever wanted was to be near her like in any other relationship. She has waited for him during his time in prison and now they can finally reunite. This seems far more difficult than they ever could comprehend when there are suddenly notes all around with his face on, warning the neighbourhood about his release. He is a released Pedophile!

2009-11-21

This is probably one of the hardest en toughest reviews I’ve ever written. Pedophilia is such a delicate subject to deal with and even the most subtle sentence may be misinterpreted as some sort of excuse for a disgusting behaviour. But keep in mind that this is just a movie and that it creates hypothetic situations where one needs to choose sides on a philosophical level if we’re going to get somewhere. The thing is to identify your own emotions and analyse the situations in a rational way.

The point with the whole movie seems first and foremost be that it’s the sexual deviance that should be punished, not plain love. And even how immoral it may sound that’s exactly what this movie is all about, a love story! Two people want to be together, even if their difference in age, he eighteen and she twelve, makes it more or less impossible. What’s behind the accusations against him that eventually send him to jail aren’t exposed by the movie. If there’s any sexual molestation or not is something you have to figure out as a viewer yourself. But if the accusations are true I would say that the rest of the movie is about the Stockholm syndrome. How ever I doubt that this is the case even if she waits for his release so that they can be together again.

"a very provocative movie"

But in either case this is definitely a very provocative movie that really puts the viewer on a hard test. Is it possible to ignore you disgust for the situation itself and look for deeper meanings beyond the obvious plot? It might just be mutual love between the two? In either case the movie claims that the girl, who is twelve at the time of the accusation, loses herself in a spiral of decadence while she waits. She discovers the world in the mist brutal and ruthless way.

This is visually accomplished by rather bothersome cinematography that spins and turns more or less all the time. It’s a successful way to show her journey through life but quite disturbing to watch (which is probably the point anyway). And it’s just this voyeuristic feeling that almost the whole movie emphasises on. There’s not a whole lot of direct plot so you’ll just have to figure things out for yourself with this palette of emotions to help guide you though it.

"a spiral of decadence"

Shane Ryan and Kai Lanette, which is also directed and/or wrote the movie plays the two biggest roles as Malachi and Echo really well! But since the film is divided into three segments and most of it is designed to visualise Echoes fate during different times she carries the biggest load along with the cinematography.

Tommy Söderberg