Autumn Sonata

When I say I bawled, I mean I really cried but maybe not bawled.  I have a typical rule of thumb that I enjoy longer films more than I enjoy short films. My typical film is 120 minutes, and this film is much closer to 90. However, it’s the perfect length. The drama would’ve lost its tension if it lasted longer, and any scene cut would take away from what this film was.  I’m not a mother, nor am I a daughter, but I can feel what they are feeling. Bergman creates a dramatized version of a strained mother-daughter relationship that is so real that I felt in it. My wife and I are expecting a daughter, and watching it with her I saw it break her in so many ways. It’s a sad examination on a human condition of passing our trauma onto our children.  I haven’t ever been 100% sold on Ingmar Bergman, but this film does it. The two leads are the best actresses I have ever seen, and no film has left me feeling this way in a very very long time. Top 4 potential