Daniel Daréus (Michael Nyqvist) is a successful international conductor at the top of his game, but he is lonely, miserable and exhausted by the demands of his high profile life style. After suffering a physical and emotional breakdown, Daniel abruptly interrupts his career and returns, alone, to Norrland, the village of his childhood located in a remote part of northern Sweden. Immediately upon his arrival his fame makes him the object of curiosity, fascination and suspicion. Soon he is asked to come and "offer a bit of good advice" to the small church choir, which practices every Thursday in the parish hall.
Daniel resists being dragged back into the spotlight, yet he finds that there is no way he can gracefully refuse the choir's request, and reluctantly he agrees to help. As he begins to work with the choir, Daniel, quite to his own surprise, begins to rediscover his long-lost joy for music. But his work with the choir is a serious threat to the town's status quo, and Daniel finds himself surrounded by enemies, including the jealous parish priest and a dangerous and violent enemy from his past. At the same time he makes new friends, among them the lovely and sensitive Lena (Frida Hallgren), a woman who helps him overcome his fear and loneliness. Daniel's life, and the lives of the people of Norrland, will never be the same.
Special Agent Matti
It took me a while to realise this but As it is in Heaven (Så som i himmelen) is a classic Western. Mysterious stranger rides into town, arousing the womenfolk and upsetting the menfolk. Although a man of peace, his presence excites violence. In the end, he must die for his beliefs, releasing the town from its troubles (it's kinda difficult to ride off into the sunset when the next one might not come for another 9 months).
If you're the arty type then don't let the preceding paragraph put you off: there are lots of subtitles, quirky characters, relationship difficulties and community choirs. The singing - under our hero's tutelage - goes from small and weedy to big and bold, just as the seasons change from frozen winter to what is apparently summer. There isn't much difference but this is Sweden, after all.
The drama, music, Sweden movie As it is in Heaven (Så som i himmelen) is directed by Kay Pollak and stars Michael Nyqvist, Frida Hallgren, Lennart Jähkel.
M (Moderate coarse language, moderate themes, moderate violence)
127 minutes (2:07 hours)
Film: 30 November 2006
DVD rental: 13 February 2008
DVD retail: 13 February 2008
