Evil (2003, Mikael Håfström)

At the beginning of Evil, we are told that the “evil” of the title is a violent young man named Erik Ponti (Andreas Wilson), who is expelled from school because he has assaulted one of the students. But the title refers to all sorts of social evils. When Erik is sent to a costly boarding school he is faced with unimaginable acts of cruelty that are condone by the faculty members. It is here where director Håfström untangles a series of fascinating, unexpected twists that are both devilishly clever and very stimulating. It is almost like a Swedish version of Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without A Cause (Ray’s movie is Erik’s favorite film). I thought the film, which was inspired by true events, was intelligent and very powerful. Andreas Wilson’s James Deanian performance is the core of involving. Linda Zilliacus is eye candy as Wilson’s illicit girlfriend. It’s an unforgettable drama.

~ by gelpi2008 on Sunday, June 29, 2008.