My 2008 TIFF Experience (final in a series)

On the evening of Saturday September 13th, I screened the movie Patrik 1,5 at the cineplex Varsity cinemas, as part of TIFF 08's contemporary world cinema programme. This was my final screening of the 2008 festival (and the first at which none of the creative team were in attendance). The film is in Swedish with English sub-titles.

The dramedy's plot revolves around a married same sex couple (Sven and Goran) moving into a new home in a small community when Goran is recruited as a physician for the local clinic. They have agreed to adopt a child, although Sven (who has his own 13 year old daughter from a prior marriage) is less keen than Goran. The primary thrust of the plot concerns the couple's ongoing battle with the social service agencies to locate a suitable child. Due to a typographical error (a dangling comma splice) when they believe they are finally matched with a local toddler, a 15 year old teen with a troubled past shows up at their door. Initially homophobic and suspicious of their motives, 15 year old Patrik, slowly grows close to Goran, while at the same time driving hot tempered Sven off on drinking binges and into the arms of another man.

The subplots concern the difficulty the neighbourhood has accepting and integrating the new couple into their community and Goran's struggle to win over his staff and patients at the clinic. In typical Hollywood fashion, Patrik (with a little aid from Sven's ex) ultimately emerges as the glue that ties them more closely into the community (Patrik's gardening skills are in high demand) and brings them back together.

The soundtrack features a pastiche of English language pop songs (Sven is fond of American country music), running the gamut from Tanya Tucker to Dolly Parton (a poster of her hangs in their new home's hall) and Three Dog Night's 70s hit "Shambalya".

Director Ella Lemhagen tackles an emerging social issue in a compelling and entertaining way and the performances by the "triangle" actors are all strong. By the end of the movie, all conflicts have been deftly sewn up and happily resolved. This material would seem to be (like La Cage aux Falles) a natural candidate for an English language adaptation, given the debate over equal marriage and related adoption rights that is raging in the USA currently.

Recommended.