Babylonsjukan (2004) User Reviews (4)

Not too deep, but inspiring and sweet!

[firewalking · 27 July 2006]

I find it hard to describe Babylonsjukan. I guess it's a type of movie a lot of people will have problems relating to, and struggle to identify with the characters. Some of the other comments mentioned that the dialogue and characters feel constructed and self-indulgent, but i didn't experience them that way.

To me, this film is about my generation of north-European youth, and i could certainly relate to the issues the characters dealt with. Maja is unhappy and very confused - she doesn't even seem to know which questions to ask herself (like many characters in "I Heart Huckabees"), and as many others she finds only temporary comfort in distractions like e.g. partying. She develops feelings for Mattias, who seems to put some of her misguided feelings into words when describing his own problems: The Babylon Sickness, as he calls it, is the situation we all are in when living in the modern consumer society. Fear and anxiety are the main motivational factors, and they mostly drive us to contribute to production & consumption, often leaving ourselves behind.

Babylonsjukan is a warm, funny and inspiring humane story about finding some form of value and comfort in each other instead of the daily grind. Save this one for a day you need some inspiration!

A complete waste of time and attention

[bergviken · 1/10 · 21 May 2005]

Being a young Swede on the left side of the political chart I was delighted to hear about Babylonsjukan. At last, I thought, a movie about me and my friends, the agony of growing up, and living in our destructive, individualistic society. Finally! A movie about me!

Jeeez. Need I say that I was GREATLY disappointed? The pretentious and non-believable dialogue, the horrible acting, the CHARACTERS, o h, m y, g o d! The characters!

Poor little Maja! - I hate my job and I have nowhere to live. I wear crazy scarves wrapped around my hair and I'm always trying to look very weak, mysterious and sensitive in the company of men. Like I'm screaming silently, - Please take care of me you big strong Man you! I''m just a little weak and tiny girl!

And the "Crazy" crowd surrounding her! Oh Lord. - Let's kidnap a nazileader! Yeay! That's how crazy we are! - Look, I have a spontaneous party In the middle of the week! - Hey guys, lets all just hug in a big pile of people! - I have unpaid bills for 28 000 Swedish crowns. I hate the society! - Oh, I'm such a rebel! - I'm speaking slang. I'm born and raised here. My upper middle-class-parents speak without accent, but hey! I'm different. On the Edge of society! Living on the line! So I speak crazy immigrant slang for no apparent reason!

All I can think of while watching this JOKE of a movie is: YOU SPOILED BRATS! GROW UP, GOD DAMNIT!

The fact that this movie got the fundings to get made is so provocative that I lost all the little hope I had left about the industry.

Hanna

incredibly bad...

[knaaaak · 2/10 · 20 February 2005]

I have a hard time finding any redeeming qualities about this film. The writing is a joke, the movie had no "real" plot as far as I could see.

The directing, photography, lighting etc.. it all sucks.

I don't care for any character, they all seem to be talking the same gibberish (some kind of Stockholm-suburban Swedish.. I guess it's supposed to be cool but it only feels ridiculous.) I'm not from this part of Sweden but am quite sure that the way people talk in this movie is not how they talk around Stockholm. If that's the case I can only feel sorry for them.

Save yourself some time and money and miss this film, it, quite simply put, sucks!

And oh yes.. the writing really sucked.. I mean REALLY!

The Babylon Disease

[Rhade · 7/10 · 14 September 2004]

'Babylonsjukan' (The Babylon Disease) is a film about 20 something Maja who is an average middle class girl in Stockholm. Her boyfriend Olle is, like many neo-hippie-wannabes before him, leaving for India for six weeks and Maja has nowhere to live. Olle helps her move in with his friend Mattias, where she's given the kitchen as her bedroom and from there the story takes off.

The plot develops and while humor is a large ingredient there's a refreshing credibility (repeat after me Hollywood- creedibiiility) to it and any Western-European under 40 can easily relate to the issues of the film. It has some more intense moments as well and is given a twist by referring to the riots at the EU top meeting in Gothenburg in June, 2001. The actors are all unestablished but for enthusiasts of new Swedish film the guy who plays Olle can be seen in the Academy Award nominated film 'Ondskan' (Evil). All in all it's a sweet film anchored in every-day very early 21th century Stockholm.