Not easy to pin down. This statement, evasive as it may seem, says quite a lot about Simon Staho who continually frustrates any attempt at a clear and consistent view of his films and persona, writes critic Kim Skotte in our Berlin magazine FILM#74.
One central theme, though, prevails in all his nine films to date, from his debut feature "Wildside" introducing a young Mads Mikkelsen in a thriller akin to classic film noir, to his brightly coloured "Love Is in the Air": They all revolve, in some way, around the theme of uncompromising love.
Editing equivalent of ADHD
Now set for its international premiere in the Generation 14plus in Berlin, "Love Is in the Air" will surely appeal to "any teen in any country" who "would warm to its brazen sexuality and on-your-sleeve romanticism," Screen's Mike Goodridge writes.
The film is "brash, abrasive and raunchy", with a director who has made some very clear choices, "going for a visual style as vulgarly lit and dressed as 'Starlight Express' or 'The Wiz' and a cutting technique that is the editing equivalent of ADHD," Goodridge says. "The effect is in-your-face to say the least." Read full review
Simon Staho in FILM#74
Read about Simon Staho in our Berlin magazine FILM#74: Emotional Extremist. "Love Is in the Air" will have its first screening at the Berlinale on Saturday, 11 February.
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