Watch Songs from the Second Floor For Free

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Overrated

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This could be a good test to identify the top one percent of art house movie fans. For an average movie goer this film is a real hell to sit through. Don't expect a fun movie by looking at the "comedy" tag. It is an absurdist comedy, set in a bleak, gloomy city filled with pale people who are somehow devoid of humanity. It will leave a bitter taste in your mouth and probably haunt you. I myself wasn't in the mood for such a thing at the time I watched it and didn't enjoy it at all but I can see why some people like it. While I wouldn't give songs from the second floor a very high rating I suggest Roger Ebert's positive review, it sums up this movie pretty well.

Unique, funny, brave look at the capitalist bureaucracy slowly destroying Swedish society, told through a series of beautifully photographed absurd and surreal vignettes. (Organized religion takes some lumps as well).The camera never moves, and each scene is a story told in a single wondrously composed and art-directed shot. Some pieces are more powerful than others, some funny, some tragic. But this is bold, adventurous filmmaking. Even it's failed moments are more interesting than most modern 'successes'. It's fascinating to see how much Andersson's style changed since his great first success 'A Swedish Love Story' 30 years earlier. That film was a subtle, naturalistic, wonderful look at young love. Here he creates what one critic aptly labeled 'Monty Python meets Ingmar Bergman'. I'd throw in ex-Monty Python Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' as well. If that sounds at all interesting to you, check this out, as well as Andersson's equally terrific follow up, 'We, The Living'.(Note, the pace is very slow by modern cinema standards. but I found myself pulled into it, the way one is by good poetry).

How, on Earth, could this movie have won prizes like Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival and Best Film at Guldbagge Awards? HOW?! The cinematography is... interesting, though. The film itself is unbelievable boring. It's THE worst Swedish film I've ever seen. I can give you a list of a whole bunch of other Swedish movies that are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than this piece of crap. If you like Swedish films, will say. For instance: Låt Den Rätte Komma In, Lilja 4-Ever, Nionde Kompaniet, Livvakterna, När Mörkret Faller, Alla Älskar Alice, Storm, Besökarna, etc.Do yourself a favor: Don't watch Sånger Från Andra Våningen! I'd rather watch Teletubbies 24/7 . . .

OVERALL: It's not really a 2/10. I'm just being exceptionally brutal because this film had so much potential, but it lost itself in a swamp of modernist absurdism which doesn't have a point. This is yet another film where the director chooses style over substance. The result is two hrs of gimmicky schlock which will intrigue the film school teachers, but those of us who are looking for a fulfilling literary experience (poetry, plot, theme, etc) will be highly disappointed.SCRIPT: There are basically 10 lines of dialogue which are repeated a dozen times each. Count how many times someone says, "Beloved is the man who sits down." Literally about 12. Well, that's one Swedish phrase that's been etched into my brain for no good reason. Honestly I haven't heard so much repetition since the last time I sang "99 bottle of beer on the wall" round the campfire.VISUALS: The entire film has a very drab, bleached white appearance which makes you want to smack the side of your VCR a few times. Yes, this is just another gimmick which is initially novel, but it gets old after 45 minutes of the same thing. Also, each scene was filmed entirely in one shot. Usually I consider that to be a huge plus (e.g. Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope", Bela Tarr's "Werckmeister Harmoniak"). But in this case it was too obvious and excruciatingly dull. "Rope" and "Werckmeister" worked well with the continuous shot because the camera was dynamic and fluid, much like the human eye. But in this film the camera only moves once in the entire picture, so there are no dynamics at all. Combine this with the aforementioned bleached-white lack of contrast and shadow, and the result makes you feel like you're a security guard watching a video monitor at the mall. For 2 hours.MUSIC: To all you ABBA fans, don't get your hopes up. It's true that Benny did the soundtrack for this film, but that only consists of about 4 chords and 12 notes played on a cheap synthesizer. It ain't no "Dancing Queen" that's for sure.HUMOUR: This movie is so thick with situational sarcasm that I couldn't tell where the gags were. In that sense it is indeed like Monty Python (which others have pointed out), but--make no mistake!--this refers to the mood only. There are no funny lines in this film. So just imagine watching a Monty Python flick with the sound turned down, and there you have it. Not exactly a laugh riot anymore, is it?HIGHLIGHTS: So what's left to like about it? I'll tell you what: it's just plain different. It's so different that it managed to hold my attention all the way through, as I was hoping that there would be some sort of payoff. In that sense, it may be refreshing to some of you. If you've been gorging yourself on Hollywood action flicks, this might be just what you need to cleanse the palate (just remember to spit it out afterward as wine connaisseurs do!). Doubtlessly, that is why Cannes showered it with awards--it's not good; it's just plain different.But don't get me started on Cannes.The sets are nice--very grand and oppressive like in Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". I should also add that that the final scene is somewhat impressive (visually), so if you do make the mistake of renting this film, don't chuck it out the window without fast forwarding to the end.MY RATING: I would give this a 1/10, but that rating is generally reserved only for films with animal cruelty in them. Aside from a few gawd-awful nude scenes with old pasty fat people, there isn't anything personally offensive. So I'll give this film a 2.