Show Me Love (Lukas Moodysson, 1998)
The American title of Lukas Moodysson’s debut Fucking
Amal is Show Me Love. It’s a shame to have a movie that’s so
specific in its observations of teen angst be blandly named after a Swedish pop
song, even if the teens in the movie listen to pop songs. Fucking Amal, a
title that refers to the town that the film takes place in, instead suggests a
very distinct kind of annoyance with the world these kids are stuck in for the
time being. Almost to the same degree that it chronicles the tentative, swooning ups and
downs of teen love, the movie puts a finger on the kind of adolescent
restlessness that results in small rebellions and grand romantic gestures. When
it gets at the blanket of irrational anger that these confused kids feel, it
rings true. Unfortunately, as the plot develops, it shies away from exploring
that discontent, in favor of demonstrating precisely the kind of naiveté and
sweetness that one would expect to find in any teen romance. Even though
Moodysson makes us aware of the fine line between adulthood and childhood, they
are ultimately presented as an exciting, feel-good sensation, instead of a scary
or daunting one. It’s not a dishonest move, exactly, but it’s a
disappointing one.
Worse still, as Show Me Love moves on from being a
courtship drama to a coming-out story, the two leads spend less screen time
together. Since these two young girls have great chemistry, it’s hard not to
grow a bit restless waiting for their collective return to the screen. It’s
true that all of the supporting performances feel natural, and Moodysson is
astute enough to ensure we’re always aware of the motivations and feelings of
each of his characters, but it still remains a let down that the central
relationship isn’t given more screen time. Some of Shoe Me Love’s
characters, like a vindictive and petty girl in a wheelchair, are rare finds in
a movie, but the majority of them are achingly familiar. Moodysson mines that
familiarity to create immediate identification with these characters, which
gives the movie a surprising ability to move even the viewer who’s aware
he’s being manipulated. Moodysson is a promising young director, who still
seems on the cusp of his inevitable ascendancy to greatness. His superb use of
pop music, his mastery of the zoom lens, and his unerring compassion are as
present here as in any of his movies. Here’s to hoping that one day those
virtues will find themselves attached to a film that fulfills the promises
hinted at here.
62
04-05-04
Jeremy Heilman
