Ein Leben für Rita

A cinematographer during his earlier years, Bob (Per Oscarsson), had fostered a lifelong obsession with film actress Rita Hayworth, to an extent that his daughter (Marika Lagercrantz) is named after her, and when his wife of 30 years dies, Bob leaves upon a passionate search for an old flame, Sabine, who shared his fascination with Hayworth, chased closely by his daughter, who in turn is tailed by her perplexed husband and their teenage daughter, along with their infant son Adam, with many adventures following, some charged with romantic fancy. Lagercrantz, a talented performer capable of vast expressivity with very little apparent effort, is most captivating as one who is mourning her mother, yet while trying to hold fast two generations of her family and still reconcile a yearning for freedom. Director Jon Lindström and his cinematographer Kjell Lagerroos combine to establish a tone noteworthy for its component of suspense, as a viewer is kept guessing as to what may be the outcome of the two-fold search. An element of oblique humour is maintained throughout, helped to a great degree by the omnipresence of young Adam, who consistently finds himself being shifted among numerous sets of caring arms.