THE LAST JOURNEY/ Den sista resan

Sweden, 2024, 95 minutes, Colour.

Lars Hammar.

Directed by Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson

The journey is, in fact, from Sweden to the French Riviera. And the passenger for the last journey – a retired teacher much admired by his students, now in old age, his son thinking that he is too settled, has lost his spark and needs some kind of stimulation. Hence the journey, back to his favourite part of France, back into reliving some of his happy past.

The style of the film is docudrama. The characters are real/actual indicating documentary. But the narrative moves like a fiction film.

Many audiences have responded well. The film has been a hit in Sweden. But, for audiences outside Sweden, the question lurks all the way through who is this son, what is his background, who is this best friend who accompanies them on the trip…? The answer is that the duo are two of Sweden’s most famous television personalities. (An Australian audience will almost automatically think of Hamish and Andy.) So, the filmmakers, are taking it for granted that the audiences know who they are, their background, and are happily along for the ride.

The non-Swedish audiences, despite the puzzle of who the men are, are prepared to go along for the ride, especially audience interest in Lars Hammar, the father. Fortunately for this film, the family took a lot of footage in the past, the holidays, during the travels. And we see the farewell to Lars as he teaches his last class, goes into retirement, happy times with his wife and his two children.

Son, Filip finds the family’s old Renault, coaxes, persuades, cajoles his father into getting out of his old chair and going on the trip. It almost doesn’t happen when almost immediately Lars has to go to hospital. But, out of hospital, with the help of map animations indicating the route of the journey, the audience is happy to get into the car and travel through Belgium, and a detour to the memorial of singer-writer, Jacques Brel, Lars’s favourite, then through the French countryside, including an unexpected confession sequence, Lars with a sympathetic priest, and, eventually, to the coastal town of Beaulieu.

Several times, the two men contrive past situations to jog the memory of Lars, to tell a story about Harry Belafonte that he often told sitting in a cafe, his comment about French drivers not stopping at red lights and getting out to squabble, the two men sitting up the exact old situations – and, happily for them as well, Lars tells the story and makes the comments.

Response to the film will depend on one’s age, this reviewer writing from the perspective of being a year younger than Lars and the film, the experience of ageing. Audiences who have looked after their parents, especially in care, reflecting on how they would have handled the situation, whether their parent would want to go on the trip or not. One of the reflections on the film is that Filip, with smiles and love for his father, is really pushing him, forcing him along the way and sometimes the suspicion, perhaps unworthy, that so much of the last journey is very much for Filip’s benefit.

But, the film invites us to happily go along for the ride.

1. The title and expectations? The tone of the film, happiness and joy?
2. The film as a blend of documentary and narrative drama, successfully integrated, the story of the Hammar family, past, lies and his successful career, age and decline? Filip, his devotion to his father, supportive of his mother, the idea of the trip, inviting his colleague, the touches of psychological drama?
3. The reputation of Filip Hammar and Frederick Wikkingsson? Swedish television celebrities? The Swedish audience knowing this in responding? Audiences outside Sweden not knowing of this and responding to the situation rather than their celebrity?
4. The use of video footage, at home, the visits to the south of France? Incorporated into the journey? And the journey back to the Riviera, reliving the past?
5. Audience response to Lars, seeing him as old, infirm, sitting in his chair, no spark? His wife’s concern? The flashbacks, photos of them as very young, the home video the holidays, the farewell from the class, the affirmation from the students? Audience sympathy for him, sharing Filip’s eagerness for the trip or not? Forcing Lars or not?
6. Filip, getting the old car, setting off on the trip, the accident, Lars and hospital, the trip almost ending? But the recovery, the continuation of the trip?
7. The use of animation to illustrate the route of the journey?
8. Eltham, Lars and his admiration for Jacques Brel, going to the statue, the song?
9. France, Lars and his making the sign of the cross, going to the church, the episode of the confession, the sympathetic priest, Lars and the memory of being rude so long earlier, continually acknowledging and confessing it? Conversation on the way, the meals?
10. The arrival of the Riviera, memories of the past and happiness, Filip and his memories? The plan to recreate episodes, the discussion with the actors and the setting up of the car and blocking scene and the dispute, and Lars eventually making his perennial comment about French drivers? The setting up of the train passing, the friends from the past, hoping for the conversation about Harry Belafonte – and, it is eventually happening? And the effect on Lars?
11. On the beach, silent, his being reflective?
12. Lars coming home, the effect of the journey? His wife happy?
13. The final tributes from former students?
14. The focus on Filip, his relationship with Frederick, their working together? Filip and his motivation, wanting his father to make the trip – for his father’s benefit, how much for Filip’s own benefit and the final image of the film a focus on his face?