Behind Blue Skies

Set in the mid ’70s, Behind Blue Skies follows Swedish teenager Martin (Bill Skarsgård) as he accepts a job at a posh summer resort and eventually becomes his boss’ right-hand man (Peter Dalle’s Gösta) – though it’s soon apparent that Gösta’s various business ventures aren’t exactly legal. There’s little doubt that Behind Blue Skies fares best in its first half, as filmmaker Hannes Holm offers up a rather conventional yet frequently charming coming-of-age story – with Martin’s tentative relationship with a fellow worker (Josefin Ljungman’s Jenny) certainly a sweet and compelling highlight. As the film progresses, however, it essentially becomes a Goodfellas-esque look at the rise and fall of a fledgling criminal, as Holm places an increasingly prominent emphasis on a variety of almost eye-rollingly hoary cliches (eg Martin begins acting like a jerk amongst his old friends). By the time the film morphs into a full-fledged crime movie, complete with informants and drug-enforcement agents, one can’t help but think that the whole thing has gone off the rails at some point. It’s consequently not terribly surprising to note that Behind Blue Skies becomes a progressively underwhelming piece of work as it limps to its conclusion, with the almost disastrously overlong running time ensuring that one’s patience is seriously tested towards the end (ie it just goes on and on). That said, the film is just barely worth a minor recommendation based on the strength of its performances and the decidedly evocative nature of Holm’s period-inspired visuals.

**1/2 out of ****