Small towns in Sweden are safe and clean, not necessarily rural, but perhaps not as stimulating as the Big City. Here we follow some kids in a small town, Falkenberg and their angst about adulthood and the world. What I like about "Farväl..." is its directness. It isn't trying to be smart or deliver puns, but just shows what life was like in Falkenberg, for the people that have made the film. They are also playing more or less themselves, I understand.

The kids portrayed are without any real sense of purpose in their lives, but at the same time quite comfortable, and with deep friendships. Adults are depicted pretty much as half-dead bores, and in juvenile narcissistic manner, adulthood indeed seems akin to dying.

I think that the "twist" that provides the only real drama of the film is a bit adolescent, but perhaps its just a traditional "hero mythology", with the hero sacrificing himself so that others may live. An effort could have been made to drive home a few more points though, now you kind of wonder if the film-makers have bothered to take a step back to seriously consider what they want to say. Politics are kind of absent, except in a very small comment on the separation of girls and boys into different groups.

Swedish small town blues have been the subject of films before, in e.g. "Fucking Åmål" and "Masjävlar", but never in quite this naked way, I think. "Gitarrmongot" I guess comes closest in terms of the tone of the movie. Not exactly entertaining in the traditional sense, but gripping, and I am glad that the film was made.

IMO, this film is just as impressive as the hype suggested, and not only the highlight of 2006, but also an instant classic and one of the best Swedish films ever made. It's different from so much of today's cinema, but in the best possible way. The main focus is on capturing a feeling, a sensation, rather than traditional plot development, and newcomer Jesper Ganslandt has pulled this off very well.

It centers around five 20-something childhood friends, their special bond with each other and their somewhat complex feelings about their hometown, the small seaside town of Falkenberg, on the Swedish west coast. As they spend their last summer together, drifting around and philosophizing, they try desperately to forget about the harsh reality that is just around the corner.

Faced with the prospect of having to move out, find jobs, conform to formalities, and eventually end up with the monotonous 9-to-5 life of their parents, they try to live completely in the moment and make the most of what's left. But as things take an unexpected turn, the end of summer comes to mean the end of something much more profound, which affects everyone in the group.

The film has a very realistic feel to it, underscored by the dialog,the unknown actors, the real-life locations and technicalities like hand-held camera. At the same time, the tone is often dream-like, not unlike Sofia Coppola's "Virgin Suicides", with a beautiful melancholy in images and music, and a slower pace that gives you rime to reflect.

What makes this film a winner is that it really gets under your skin and makes you care about the characters, as well as the intensity that draws you in and keeps you emotionally engaged. It also shows male friendship is very natural, yet utterly affecting way, which I think is a rare quality in contemporary film and quite a relief from all the stereotypes and clichéd alpha males.

To fully appreciate "Farväl Falkenberg" you'd probably have to be Swedish or have lived here for some time, as the scenery and everyday interactions of the small town environment gives the film much of its atmosphere, and part of its impact is the feeling of recognition. The essence of it, however - the emotional and psychological themes - is much more universal.

This memorable, visually unique, and sometimes very emotional story of a group of young friends whose lives implode after their schooling ends ranked among the top 3 films of the 15 or so I saw at the Toronto Film Festival. Unfortunately, the combination of $20 ticket prices and a 1 (out of 5) rating given this film by the major Toronto free weekly paper resulted in relatively few audience members taking a chance on the work of a first-time director. Moreover, I will say that this is not a film for everyone, and that there were a fair number of walk-outs at the screening I saw.

All that said, I think those who appreciate films that approach storytelling from a truly cinematic perspective -- that is, where the shots, the editing, the sound design, and the music tell the story as much as the action and dialogue do -- will find a lot to love here. As others have noted, this film did share some aesthetic elements with the last few (excellent) features by Gus van Sant (Elephant, Gerry, and Last Days),but it mixes this feeling with some of the contagious warmth, humor, and genuine emotional impact of Lucas Moodysson's Together (2000).

I think that whoever gave this film that (fatal) 1-star rating in Toronto must have popped in a screener tape, seen a lot of out-of-work young people goofing around and cracking some coarse jokes, and then tuned out at about the ten minute mark, writing this one off as yet another debut filmmaker mining the "slacker" genre for low-grade yux -- admittedly an unappealing prospect. But there's so much more at work here, and those who stay engaged in the film will be rewarded with unconventional but emotionally honest (and first-rate!) storytelling.