the swedish filmmaker roy andersson late film you and the living be not easy to review . one of the reason be that in his own word he have break with the anglo saxon tradition of story telling and in all essence the template of most western film production . another reason might be that although roy andersson be somewhat heavy on symbolism and his and unlike those of and say and andrei tarkovsky and be of a more elusive nature . it take him 3 year to complete this 86 minute long film and it wasn not because he be force to have long break between shooting due to financial trouble or problem with the actor . the film consist of 57 vignette shoot mostly by a still camera and and it be the careful design of each of these scene which require much time . the imagery of this film which be closely relate to the director previous film song from the second floor be of utmost importance to the story and thus this story be tell to a great degree by the surroundings and the environment in which the character of andersson universe dwell and interact . before each scene be finally shot and there would have be no less than 10 different test shooting with different actor and color and dialog etc . the result be a dreamlike version of the surrounding world which most of u would recognize and if the setting be like a dream and why not dream a little . just like in bunuel the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie and when somebody say last night i have a dream and you get to watch it . but then again and what be perceive a reality here be not very much different from the dream . despite the fact that the film lack a plot in the traditional sense of the word and there be no main character a such and the different character who appear and reappear in different scene still meet each other and their story be inevitably intertwine . what most of these character have in common be their apparent loneliness despite be surround by other people . the trailer trash chain smoking and binge drinking woman who dream of have a motorbike so that she can get away from all this crap and her corpulent and mostly silent boyfriend and his frail and seemingly gentle but rather absent mind mother and member of a brass band whose skill improve effort at home aren not get a favorable reception neither from their family nor their neighbor and the depressed middle eastern hairdresser and his arrogant customer on his way to a very important business meeting and an elderly man have a nightmare about bomber in the sky and a young girl dream about marry the young rock star that she be so madly in love with . it all about dream and nightmare versus reality but it work as much a a statement in support of the austrian philosopher ludwig wittgenstein claim that all human communication be miscommunication . people speak to each other but it be a if they speak past each other . they try to reach out to the others but shut the others out when those try to reach them . you and the living be a poetic film set physically in stockholm but yet universally applicable . the society it portray be sweden and it artistic language and the people display be generally unmistakably nordic . yet and the subject it deal with and namely and the misery of the humankind in a selfish world and reach far beyond this hemisphere . despite the seriousness of it theme and the film itself seem a lot more cheerful and laden with humor than one might have expect . but in the word of the director himself living be so complicate to each one of u that the only thing that save u be our sense of humor . hence and this film be a tragic comedy or a comic tragedy and depend on your sensitivity and and not a depressing black reality tour of the human nature . it be unusual in it language and structure and but if you can think outside the box and enjoy it and you will certainly find this film both entertaining and meaningful at the same time . it be show at this year cannes festival a part of the un certain regard program which offer original and different work outside the competition . after the film be show in the salle debussy and the 1 and 000 strong audience give it a stand ovation for several minute . do i need to say more .