Sommartider (2024)

	Directed by: Per Simonsson	INTERNATIONAL TITLE Summer Times NORWEGIAN TITLE Sommartider COUNTRY Sweden GENRE Biopic/Music RUNNING TIME 101 minutes
	Produced by: Anni Faurbye Fernandez Cindy Hanson Moa Westeson
	Written by: Per Simonsson

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Per Gessle	Valdemar Wahlbeck
Mats "MP" Persson	Ville Löfgren
Micke Syd Andersson	Phoenix Parnevik	½
Anders Herrlin	Lance Hedman Graaf	-
Göran Fritzon	Xawier Kulas	½
Kurt Gessle	Per Lasson	-
Åsa	Lova Schildt	-
Lasse Lindbom	Hampus Hallberg	-
Kjell Andersson	Anastasios Soulis	-
Tobbe	Felix Sandman	-
Marie Fredriksson	Ella Tiritiello	½
Sivan Andersson	Henriette Steenstrup	-
Susan	Nicol Bertic Kovac	-
Loffe	Emil Almén	-
Annie	Ava Nikodell	-

Review

The story of Per Gessle, from the small Swedish town of Halmstad, who conquered the Swedish pop scene with his band Gyllene Tider in the early 1980s before going on to conquer the world with his second band, Roxette, is certainly worthy of the biopic treatment. And the fact that writer/director Per Simonsson seems to have been somewhat inspired by the tone of the brilliant 2022 TV series Clark is by no means to the film's detriment – you immediately get the sense that you're in for a "Joyride", as the film propels forward "Tuff tuff tuff (som ett lokomotiv)". Gyllene Tider emerged as a melody-driven band at the tail end of the punk era, and although their No. 1 hit "Sommartider" may have outstayed its welcome by now, their second album, "Moderna Tider", remains a fine example of early new wave, thanks to Gessle's remarkable talent as a songsmith. What Sommartider does best is represent the band's music with just the right amount of admiration. However, the film has one fundamental flaw: Valdemar Wahlbeck is completely miscast in the lead role as Gessle. His demeanour and energy are nothing like Gessle's and don't do the musician justice. You feel as though you're watching a very mannered, but ultimately inauthentic performance. This also affects Simonsson's recreation of the time period, which is well captured on a surface level, but lacks the wide-eyed naïveté of the era.