Kris

His debut, I know, but I actually found this to one of the more accessible Ingmar Bergman films - maybe that's why it isn't actually that great. It follows the young "Nelly" (Inga Landgré) living with her kindly foster mother "Mutti/Ingeborg" (Dagny Lind) who teaches piano in their small town. This peaceful existence is suddenly turned on it's head, though, when her real mother "Jenny" (Marianne Löfgren) shows up intent on reconciling with her long estranged offspring. She doesn't show up alone - her rather lively and mischievous friend "Jack" (Stig Olin) comes along too, and at a charity ball he and "Nelly" cause a bit of a stir that causes consternation for her friend "Ulf" (Allan Bohlin), gets someone a wetting and causes tongues to wag to such an extent that poor old "Nelly" has to relocate to the city. Things there aren't a bed of roses there either, and pretty soon the young woman must make some difficult choices. This is a solid ensemble effort with decent efforts from all concerned as the rather unlikeable group of characters have to deal with their self-induced and conflicted predicaments. There is a bit of chemistry between Olin and Landgré that at times raises a smile and/or makes you cringe, but for the most part the narrative is a bit wooly - too many people cluttering up a story that somehow lacks focus. Still, I did understand it which is more than I can say for many of this director's later, more impenetrable, works.