Sommarnattens Leende
1955 / 109m - Sweden
Comedy, Romance
1.5*/5.0*
Smiles of a Summer Night poster

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April 22, 2022

1.5*/5.0*

A film that is pretty intriguing, especially for dedicated fans of Bergman. The man is best known for his serious arthouse work, you wouldn't really expect him to do a certified romcom. People not really into Bergman shouldn't get their hopes up though, his signature is still very much present.

The film takes place in a single night. A courtesan's daughter throws a big party, hoping to ditch her current boyfriend, a respected general. She also invites her ex-husband and his son. People mingle, including the maids, and romances start blossoming between the various attendees.

Though this is a romcom on paper, the weighty dialogues and stiff characters don't really gel well with genre expectations. It's cute to see Bergman go beyond his comfort zone, but it merely shows that he's not fit to work within stricter genre conventions. There's little joy, passion and/or romance to be found, though it's also not the worst thing he made.