While Sweden may seem a flawless bastion of democratic socialism to some, myself very much included, films like Slim Susie remind us that no society is without its problems.
The fourth film from writer-director Ulf Malmros, Slim Susie (Smala Sussie) is a tale of sibling tension, murder, drug-based revelry and lives gone comically wrong. Malmros brings a distinctly Nordic twist to the crime-comedy genre formulated in such films as Trainspotting and Pulp Fiction.
After a three-year absence, Erik Svald (Jonas Rimeika) returns to his blighted hometown in search of his little sister Susie (Tuva Novotny). As Susie’s beloved but estranged older brother, Erik feels guilty about not checking in on her sooner. The whole town seems to know something about his sister’s shady disappearance, but no one will talk.
Aside from Susie’s absence, he finds little changed in Varmland: His mother is still a flighty alcoholic and her yard is still decorated with an inordinate amount of gnomes. His best friend from childhood, Grits (Bjorn Starrin), is still making movies, but now they veer more towards the heavy-metal porn genre than anything else.
Erik is not nostalgic about being thrown back into the town of his childhood. He observes how the banalities of small-town existence have consumed his peers. Rimeika thoughtfully portrays Erik’s surprise at how much Susie has changed in his absence and the guilt he feels for being negligent. When Erik undoubtedly will return to Stockholm, he will enjoy increased insight into his identity and past.
Time follows a non-linear path as the details of Susie’s disappearance unfold. Susie had been the former winner of the “Miss Motor” beauty pageant, an unusually NASCAR-like event for a country so Volvo. Her status as a local celebrity aside, she seems profoundly unhappy with her life and yearns to join her brother in Stockholm. Novotny’s performance capably captures her character’s wistful yet troubled demeanor. Through these shifts, the town’s quirky inhabitants are introduced one by one.
The people of Varmland are delightfully eccentric and thrive on creating drama for the sake of drama. An unhappy husband finds revenge for his wife’s constant nagging by sewing prawns into the lining of her pants. She never discovers the source of the smell, quickly earning the nickname “crustacean woman” at work. Also prominently featured is the town oddball Tore Tumor, a belligerent single parent left mute after botched brain surgery. Another character, clad in varying shades of red, contemplates taking his own life with a nail gun. These seemingly minor quirks all prove integral in an attempt to steal a recently deceased old woman’s savings that goes horribly awry.
It seems everyone has turned to drugs to quell boredom in this town. After Susie’s mother causes a scene in the grocery store, Grits introduces Susie to “brown sugar”-smoking smack-in the parking lot. They proceed to scuttle around the store in drug-induced euphoria. Grits captures many of their moments together on his camcorder, something that will prove helpful in revealing the mystery later.
Because no Swedish film would be complete without a jab at its neighbor to the west, a member of the town’s drug ring is shown importing their supply from Oslo, Norway. This sharp-witted film is largely dialogue driven. Compelling cinematography and the colorful Swedish urban landscape make Slim Susie visually sustaining as well.
Transferred to Varmland against his will, Officer Billy Davidsson (Kjell Bergqvist) proves fundamentally unhelpful. When Erik contacts him about Susie’s disappearance, Davidsson advises him to leave town. Bergqvist’s performance captures the essence of Davidsson’s aloofness. He appears to prefer singing along to Euro pop, vacuuming his office and applying mascara to his graying beard to actually solving crimes.
Unlike many shoddy Tarantino imitations, Slim Susie’s plot escapes being trite and carries itself on its own. It thoughtfully highlights Sweden’s internal tensions and does not fall into Ikea-related cliches. Malmros’ writing is cleverly brought to the screen by the cast, despite the fact that many are newcomers to cinema.
Though it can often feel self-consciously bizarre, Slim Susie proves to be lighthearted yet emotionally satisfying fare. One is reminded that Sweden, despite its carefully planned streets and subsidized housing, is still prey to the trappings of small town existence found everywhere.
Slim Susie is playing as part of the European Union Film Showcase. It will screen again the AFI Silver Theatre on Thurs., Nov. 4 at 7:00 p.m. Other films from the 17th annual EU Film Showcase will be screening through Nov. 7 at both the AFI Silver Theatre and the AFI National Film Theater at the Kennedy Center. For more information and tickets, see www.afi.com/silver
