Adam & Eva

Adam & Eva is a successful everyday comedy that precisely captures the conditions of love in the 90s. The directing and writing duo Måns Herngren and Hannes Holm dare to play with cinematic conventions; for example, the film begins with a romantic 'ending' in which Adam, as a firefighter, rescues Eva from a burning house. Four years later there is rather less romance in the air. Adam balks at the thought of Eva's advanced plans for children, a house and a Volvo, so he soon starts a secret affair with his brother's forward babysitter Jackie. The affair does not stay hidden. In fact it is exposed on Christmas Eve itself, when Adam is utterly defenceless in his Father Christmas costume.

Adam and Eva split up. A little too quickly for Adam's liking, Eva finds a new boyfriend, Åke Braun, a self-satisfied comedian who of course becomes a huge success, to Adam's dismay. Adam is not quite so lucky in love, until he meets Eva again!

Adam & Eva is not one of those films that lodge themselves in your memory for ever, but while it is rolling, you cannot fault the film's sparkling inventiveness and well-turned comedy. The best set pieces are a parody of a Ricki Lake show in which Adam, Eva and Åke are the guests, and a breakfast-table scene that plays out as a veritable commercial for everything from Libresse to Kinder Eggs.