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Together (2000 film)

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Together
Theatrical release poster
SwedishTillsammans
Directed byLukas Moodysson
Written byLukas Moodysson
Produced byLars Jönsson
StarringLisa Lindgren
Michael Nyqvist
Emma Samuelsson
Sam Kessel
CinematographyUlf Brantås
Production
companies
Distributed bySonet Film
Release date
  • 25 August 2000 (2000-08-25) (Sweden)
Running time
106 minutes
CountriesSweden, Denmark, Italy
LanguageSwedish
Budget17,000,000 SEK
Box office$14.6 million[1]

Together (Swedish: Tillsammans) is a Swedish comedy-drama film, which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 25 August 2000.[2] It is Swedish director Lukas Moodysson's second full-length film. Set in a Stockholm commune called "Tillsammans" (Swedish for "Together") in 1975, it is a satirical view of socialist values and a bittersweet comedy. Moodysson filmed a sequel titled Together 99 that was released in 2023.[3]

Plot

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Together is set in one of the sharehome communes that was created around Stockholm in the 1970s. Loosely led by the kind-natured Göran, who will do anything to avoid a conflict, the group spend their time arguing about left-wing politics and other more practical issues, such as whether doing the dishes is bourgeois. The sharehome's dynamics are significantly shaken when Göran's sister, Elisabeth, leaves her violent husband Rolf and moves in, bringing her two children Eva and Stefan.

Self-declared lesbian Anna lives in the commune with her ex-husband Lasse and their son Tet (named after the Tet offensive), who befriends Stefan. The two play games such as "torture the Pinochet victim" where, in the spirit of equality, they take turns at being Augusto Pinochet. Eva meanwhile befriends a lonely boy across the street named Fredrik; his family appears conventional on the surface but proves to be even more dysfunctional than the commune of which they so openly disapprove. The children are portrayed as sidelined by everyone in the film, from the new school where they are bullied to the parents who, while genuinely loving, are too busy experimenting with their own freedom to show it.

Elisabeth's husband Rolf makes a concerted effort to clean up his act, although not before getting drunk and arrested, leaving his children stranded on a roadside after a disastrous meal in a Chinese restaurant. Further relationship problems are found with Klas, who is desperately in love with Lasse, and between Göran and his selfish and immature girlfriend, who wants the benefits of an open relationship but not the responsibilities.

Selected cast

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Production

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Although set in Stockholm in eastern Sweden, the film was actually shot in western Sweden, mainly in cities Trollhättan and Gothenburg. Filming began on 27 October 1999 and wrapped 20 December 1999. Artist Carl Johan De Geer created the film's contemporary environments.

The character "Birger" previously appeared in Moodysson's short film 'Talk' (Bara prata lite) in 1997, where he was also played by Sten Ljunggren.

Reception

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Critical reception

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The film received critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 90% based on reviews from 79 critics, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads "Managing to be both satirical and warm-hearted in its look at the inhabitants of a commune, Together successfully captures the spirit of a time."[4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[5]

The New York Times called Together "A funny, graceful and immensely good-natured work",[6] while Salon described it as "The kind of picture that makes you feel that there are many good reasons to actually like mankind."[7]

Box office

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The film opened on 87 screens in Sweden and grossed $506,479 in its opening weekend.[8] It was number one at the box office in Sweden[9] and grossed $6.4 million from 880,000 admissions. It grossed $1.3 million in Norway, $1 million in the United States and Canada and almost $1 million in the United Kingdom, for a worldwide total of $14.6 million.[1][10]

Soundtrack

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Sequel

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In 2022, Moodysson filmed a sequel to the film, titled Together 99. It is set to be released in 2023. The sequel is set in 1999 and follows Göran and Klas as they establish a new commune. Most of the actors returned, with the exception of the children, Michael Nyqvist, who passed away in 2017, and Ola Rapace, whose role of Lasse was recast with actor Jonas Karlsson.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Together at Box Office Mojo
  2. ^ "Tillsammans" (in Swedish). Swedish Film Institute. 25 August 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  3. ^ Dams, Tim (20 May 2022). "Lukas Moodysson preps 'Together' sequel with Memfis Film". Screen Daily. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Together (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Together (2001) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. ^ Kehr, Dave (24 August 2001). "FILM IN REVIEW; 'Together'". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  7. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (28 August 2001). "Together". Salon. Salon Media Group. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  8. ^ Buddrus, Petra (1 September 2000). "Moodyson follows up early promise". Screen International. p. 31. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  9. ^ Buddrus, Petra (15 September 2000). "Lars von Trier's Dancer disappoints in Scandinavia". Screen International. p. 31. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  10. ^ Rossing Jensen, Jorn (1 October 2001). "Light touch delivers pic that travels". Variety. p. 22.
  11. ^ "Därför får inte Ola Rapace vara med i nya "Tillsammans 99"". 20 August 2022.
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