The Women on the Roof

Some films are all dressed up with no place to go; The Women on the Roof has the distinction of being all undressed with no place to go. Nicely filmed by Carl-Gustav Nykvist (son of Sven, Bergman's longtime cinematographer), the story is set in Stockholm on the eve of WWI. Here, Linnea (Amanda Ooms), a seemingly reserved girl, moves into an apartment next door to Anna (Helena Bergstrom), a photographer who snaps pictures of bankers decked out in S&M regalia and the like. Taking a bit of a shine to the innocent Linnea, Anna seduces her first with the camera and later with her feminine charms as the duo spend an idyllic period making bawdy photographs and whoopee, before the sudden arrival of Willy (Breaking the Waves' Stellan Skarsgard). If my math is correct, the film shifts to a menage a trois, at this point, until a nasty turn of events puts a damper on the free love party. In the end, there's more flesh than story offered here, and Linnea's character--in particular--who has no history we're aware of, is a total cypher. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)