Review: PATRIK, AGE 1.5

In recent years adoption stories have become a staple of made for cable movies. Director Ella Lemhagen’s PATRIK, AGE 1.5 is a departure from many of these formulaic TV movies. Besides being made for cinemas it focuses on the efforts of two married gay men in Sweden who decide to start a family. We first meet Goran (Gustaf Skarsgard) as he and his husband, Sven (Torkel Peterson), meet their new neighbors at a block party. Everything in this little neighborhood is full of bright colors similar to the suburbs of Tim Burton’s EDWARD SCISSORHANDS. The residents are slightly surprised at the couple, but soon welcome them warmly. Later Goran looks longingly at the parents playing with their young children. They soon visit a adoption agency to find out how their application for a child is progressing. The men are told that no country wants to offer a child to a gay couple. Goran quickly states that a Swedish child would be fine (even Danish!). Back at their home they are visited by Sven’s still bitter ex-wife Eva (Annika Hallin) and his surly teenage daughter Isabell (Amanda Davin). It’s hoped that a baby in the house will inspire more frequent visits by Isabell. Later we see Sven in his job at an office in the city while Goran settles into his new position as a doctor at the town’s clinic. Finally they receive a letter with good news. A boy, Patrik, age 1.5 will be living with them. Goran joyfully busies himself by turning one of the rooms into a nursery for the eighteen month old complete with a TV monitor. The men are stunned when fifteen year old Patrik arrives. They take him back to the agency just before the office is to close for a three day weekend. Sven retrieves Patrik’s file and learns of his violent record. The men soon learn of Patrik’s homophobic streak. Later the directors of the agency admit to the misprint on the adoption letter. This sets up many questions for the rest of the film. Will they give Patrik back to the agency where he may never be part of a home? How will this affect the relationship of Goran and Sven? What will be the reaction of the neighborhood to this unusual family?

Ella Lemhagen keeps the story moving at a very relaxed pace. The performances of the leads are all very good particularly Gustaf Skarsgard as the quiet complex Goran. The opening scenes suggest a whimsy that’s not followed up later in the film. The people of the neighborhood are not developed fully. They seem to be of the “desperate, repressed suburbanite” cliche. This “dramedy” seems weighted more on the drama side. I can’t say any of the story points surprised me, but I enjoyed seeing this controversial subject manner from the Swedish viewpoint. A well made, if a bit predictable film.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars