DAYBREAK
Directed & Written by: Björn Runge.
Produced by: Clas Gunnarsson.
Director of Photography: Ulf Brantås.
Edited by: Lena Dahlberg.
Released by: Newmarket.
Language: Swedish with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: Sweden. 108 min. Not Rated.
With: Pernilla August, Jacob Eklund, Leif Andrée, Marie Richardson, Ann Petrén & Magnus Krepper.

Three parallel stories of lives unraveling are sorted out during one 24-hour period: Richard (Jacob Eklund), a self-assured and highly-respected heart surgeon, loses a plum job and hears troubling news from a woman with whom he's having an affair; Anita (Ann Petrén), a scorned middle-aged woman, goes off the deep end; and Anders (Magnus Krepper), a driven but struggling contractor, ignores his nagging wife's complaint that he never spends enough time with his family. Instead, he works for easy money - entombing a xenophobic couple in their own home.

There are some beautifully observed moments at a dinner where all of the worst fears of Richard's wife Agnes (Pernilla August) are silently confirmed. Cold and withdrawn, Richard still manages to draw two women. Playing one of the most betrayed women of recent films, Agnes inexplicably clings to her husband. August has such a strong presence and backbone when angry that it's a question why Agnes would put up with his behavior. And when a staggering and soon-to-be-sick guest arrives at the aforementioned dinner, no one says a word or reacts in response. The scene simply doesn't feel real.

The character of Anita is intriguing until it's clear that her anger and impulsiveness are fueled by her lack of medication. And it's only for the plot's sake that Anita is able to overpower her ex-husband and his much younger wife by holding them hostage. Likewise, it feels forced when Ander's wife offers an ultimatum - she may leave him if he goes off to work - when they're living off of her unemployment benefits.

The film's resolutions are either too facile or too vague. Purged feelings and a newfound sense of knowing what's important in life are among the simplistic lessons the film imparts. Its ironies and parallels are obvious, opening with an operation where the surgeon handling a human heart is none other than the heartless Richard. And like Anders's teenage daughter, the estranged offspring of the reactionary couple also has a love for horses. Realizing the connection will cause Anders to see the light. Kent Turner
February 2, 2005