I’m not going to tell you much about this film. This is the third in a trilogy by director Roy Andersson. The first being Songs from the Second Floor (2000), then You, the Living (2007). It is a grey absurdist reflection of our struggle through existence and death. The colors are mostly a palette of greys, indirect light, and no shadows. It has a discernible Swedish feel and exemplifies slow cinema.

While some of my personal favorite films are slow cinema, this particular entry won’t be at the top of my list. It wasn’t bad, but the Guardian liked it more than I did. I felt there was more style and technical skill than substance. The lack of of defined plot did not bother me, but I did want to hear more philosophizing from its characters than simply being shown what their struggles were. Of course, one of the most known mantras of film making is “Show, don’t tell” but here, without a plot, some telling would have been welcome for this viewer.

You don’t need to see the earlier films to try this one out, but I do recommend picking a quiet contemplative night for it… and if you were only going to watch one of the three, I’d recommend You, the Living.