Sofie

REVIEW
Taking on the mantle of her longtime director, Ingmar Bergman, actress Ullmann debuts behind the camera with this affecting, if somewhat overlong, saga about the life of an unassuming Jewish woman in turn-of-the-century Sweden. Early on, the film hinges on her choice between a fiery and passionate affair with a Christian painter or an arranged marriage to a dour Jewish man from the countryside. As she spends much of her time with her three spinster aunts, the film examines her struggle between virtue and spiritual freedom. Benefitting from a host of fine performances, the film often captures the whimsical nature of Bergman's Fanny and Alexander, but at 145 minutes, the film too often overstays its welcome. (Swedish with English subtitles)