Happy Finish

A Nordisk Film relieve a Zentropa Intl. Sweden, Trollhattan Film presentation and production. (Worldwide sales: TrustNordisk, Hvidovre, Denmark.) Produced by Madeleine Ekman. Directed by Bjorn Runge. Script, Runge, Kim Fupz Aakesen.With: Ann Petren, Malin Buska, Gustaf Skarsgard, Johan Widerberg, David Dencik, Mariah Kanninen, Hanna Malmberg.Good intentions don't always lead to preferred effects in "Happy Finish," the newest feature from Swedish theater and periodic film director Bjorn Runge ("Daybreak," "Mouth to Mouth"). Just a little web of interconnected tales that fans out around an eager mother's difficult rapport along with her thin-skinned artist boy, the pic reps a typical slice of Scandinavian miserabilism, in the solid acting towards the fairly straightforward aesthetic. Pic preemed within the recent San Sebastian fest and you'll be welcomed at other film occasions, though ever-after happiness is likeliest round the Euro tube. Widowed driving-school instructor Jonna (Runge regular Ann Petren) takes her grown-up boy, Peter (Gustaf Skarsgard, Alexander's brother), in after he suffers failing which is abandoned by his pretty g.f. (Hanna Malmberg). Home, the still-fragile painter falls for pretty Katrine (Malin Buska), Jonna's cleaner, who's herself within an abusive relationship along with her b.f. (Johan Widerberg), who owes money with a thug (David Dencik). Visually more straightforward than "Mouth to Mouth," this depressing crisscrosser does feature one attention-getting sequence: a pokey zoom that unveils ace thesp Skarsgard's face while he asks Katrine an important question.Camera (color), Ulf Brantas editor, Lena Runge music, Ebba Forsberg production designer, Jette Lehman costume designer, Anna Karlsson. Examined at San Sebastian Film Festival (competing), Sept. 20, 2011. Running time: 94 MIN. Contact Boyd van Hoeij at news@variety.com