As It Is in Heaven
As It Is in Heaven

Movie spotlight

As It Is in Heaven

2004
Movie
132 min
Swedish

A musical romantic tragedy about a famous composer who moves back to his small hometown after having had heart troubles. His search for a simple everyday life leads him into teaching the local church choir, which is not easily accepted by the town yet the choir builds a great love for their teacher.

Insights

IMDb7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes82%
Metacritic64/100
Google Users92%
Director: Kay PollakGenres: Drama, Music

Plot Summary

Daniel Daréus, a world-renowned opera singer, suffers a personal crisis and abandons his successful career. He returns to his childhood village in rural Sweden, where he begins to lead the local church choir. Through his passionate and unconventional methods, Daniel transforms the choir and touches the lives of the villagers, confronting old wounds and finding a new purpose.

Critical Reception

As It Is in Heaven was a critical and commercial success, earning widespread praise for its uplifting story, powerful performances, and moving musical numbers. It resonated with audiences for its themes of redemption, community, and the transformative power of music, becoming one of Sweden's highest-grossing films.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its heartwarming and inspirational narrative.

  • Celebrated for its strong performances, particularly from the lead actors.

  • Commended for its beautiful integration of music and its emotional impact.

Google audience: Audiences overwhelmingly loved the film, frequently highlighting its touching story, the powerful effect of the music, and the uplifting message of hope and community. Many found it to be a deeply moving and cathartic experience.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2005. Also received numerous awards and nominations at various film festivals, including Guldbagge Awards (Sweden's national film awards).

Fun Fact

The film's director, Kay Pollak, originally intended for the lead role of Daniel to be played by a famous Swedish actor who was not a trained singer, but he ultimately chose Michael Nyqvist, who had a background in singing, to better convey the character's musical talent.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
Andres Gomez

Andres Gomez

Predictable events on a still very nice story embedding the viewer into the (rural) Swedish society. The cast works really well and the director makes a fantastic job.