Hilma

Hilma af Klint (Tora Hallström, Lena Olin) was born in 1862 Sweden. She becomes an artist in a male-dominated world. She and her fellow female artists are dismissed. They form a collective which seeks communion with the spirits. Her art would mostly be ignored during her lifetime until it is rediscovered in modern era.

This is a functional standard biopic. I wish the artistic process could be presented better. The lesbian romances are kept mostly under the covers. Hilma herself is rather frustrating. Maybe she had a mental illness but the movie is not that illuminating. I really like those initial giant canvases, but I don't care that much about the black and white swans. Some of the later stuff looks like 70's mod style and that's interesting for when she is rediscovered. The most compelling scene is actually the end. Finally, I may prefer to have an aged Tora instead of substitute Lena Olin. Lena is a great actress, but it could be interesting to keep the same actress. Like Hilma herself, this movie needs some aggressive self drive.