Directed by Andres Hazelius, the Swedish film Forever depicts the story of passion and friendship. Streaming on Netflix, the film revolves around the dreams and aspirations of a teenager, Mila, to become a professional footballer. The heights that she attains under the guidance of an able coach and the numerous reasons that create a distance between the two best friends have been depicted in the movie. The team spirit and the passion of a talented young teen to become a footballer have garnered our attention in this masterpiece of a film! The film stars Agnes Lindström Bolmgren, Flutra Cela, Judith Sigfridsson, and others. Will Mila be able to fulfill her dreams? What distances her from Kia? Let’s find out!
Spoilers Ahead
How Does Lollo Recognize Mila’s Passion?
The new coach, Lollo Wallin, has been selected to train a team of young and passionate young football players for the BK Linden team. She is a well-known sports figure who has played on the Swedish national football team. Initially, she was strict with Mila because she knew that she had potential but was not disciplined. The first and foremost rule for a sportsman to succeed is to be disciplined, and therefore, whenever Mila came into charge, she was punished by Lollo. She was made to do 5 rounds of the field for being 5 minutes late to practice, and on the next day, when she was 40 minutes late, she was made to do 40 laps. Mila’s completion of the laps convinces Lollo that she is passionate about soccer and wants to pursue it further. She further tests her by putting her on the bench the next day, and when Mila says that she is the best in the team, Lollo makes fun of her. Lollo wants to make sure that she does not become overconfident about herself, as that would hamper the team spirit.
The coach also puts her through further trials and makes her play alone against the rest of her team. She tells Mila that she should never underestimate her team or let them down. She teaches all the team members to focus on their weaknesses and work on them. Lollo recognizes the extreme aggression in Mila and tells her that it is her greatest weakness and her greatest strength. It meant that she could either put her aggression to good use and channel it to become a great player or let it destroy her bright career. Lollo truly understands the fire within Mila and believes in her.
What Sexist Intonations Are Present In The Film?
The sexist intonation rings loudly in Forever when the issue of gender differences in sports is brought up. While dropping Mila home, Lollo tells her about the issue that women face in sports and how she hopes that the differences in payment gaps based on gender will cease. The pressure that society puts on women is also brought up in the character of Mila’s mother. She is resentful of Mila’s affinity for soccer. She tells her that she is a woman after all and cannot pursue sports. She would have to sweep floors and nurse someone if she failed her exams, as society expected of women. The sexist mindset of society and the segmentation between men and women are showcased when the board members decide that the boys team will go to the Gothia Cup finals instead of the girls’ team. Mila challenges the boys’ team to play against them. It was decided that the team that would win would go to play the Gothia club. The girls’ team wins, and they finally go to play for the Gothia Cup. This clears up the fact that Mila is not threatened by any societal pressure and is only focused on her goals.
How Does Mila Finally Appear For Matches In Ullevi?
Mila had been consistently bad in her academics but had an excellent sportsman spirit. Seeing her grades, her mom stops her from participating in the Gothia Cup and locks her up in her room. Mila’s passion makes her escape and flee to live her own dream. She plays for the Gothia Cup and goes through all the hurdles to get her team to the semi-finals. Lollo introduces Mila to Erika , as they are scouting players for the new Gothenburg youth team. Lollo had recommended Mila because she thought that Mila was extremely talented and would live up to the expectations from her dreams. We see Mila working hard and practicing day in and out to ensure that she performs well in the finals at Ullevi. We see her standing in an empty stadium and imagining people calling out her name. The fame associated with the games was all that Mila craved, and maybe that was what bonded her so well with football. Mila’s mother reaches the stadium in search of her during the finals and sees the passion with which she plays. She realizes that there is nothing but football on her mind, and she cannot take the sport out of her, no matter how much she tries. Despite Mila putting her heart and soul into the game, the team loses the match, and she returns home.
What Creates A Gap Between Mila And Kia?
The only things that Mila cared for were football and Kia, her best friend. Seeing her become close friends with others made Mila angry, as she was the only friend that she had. After the boys vs. girls team match for Gothia, Kia is ignored by Sameer, the guy she likes, which makes Kia think that Mila was at fault. When Mila’s shoe tears, she is seen stealing Leo’s new shoes, and on being accused, she says that she had taken those shoes from Kia. When Kia is summoned, she lies on Mila’s behalf. She later tells Mila how she was always in trouble because of her deeds. She starts ignoring Mila and eventually gets closer to her other friends. She also avoids Mila at the graduation party after she is given a dare to kiss her. Kia was frustrated at the thought that she was tagged as a lesbian at school because of Mila and how she had been distanced from others because of her.
Before the graduation party, Lollo had instructed the girls of the team to return before 10 o’clock because they had the match the next day. Mila returns along with others on time, while Kia stays back at the party and returns late. When Mila requests Kia’s return, she tells her that she will go back late and that it was Mila’s dream to play in Ullevi and not hers. The next day, Lollo tells Kia that she knew that she was out late and asks her to leave. When she is barred from playing in the finals, Kia asks Mila to support her and walk out with her, but Mila does not do that as her dreams of football are bigger than anything else to her. She said that she had no family to support her and had to look out for her own dreams. The two eventually get into a fight, and Kia walks away, breaking all ties with Mila.
Does Mila Take The Final Chance?
After losing the match in Ullevi, Mila’s self-confidence is broken. She is seen packing up all her posters and jerseys and deciding never to play football again. She also gives away the stolen shoes to Leo when he appreciates her performance in the semi-finals. Lollo comes to Mila one final time, saying that Erika wanted to give her a chance at the tryouts in Gothenburg. She explains to her that soccer is cruel and requires a lot of sacrifice. She leaves the decision to return to the world of soccer up to Mila. She then decides to return to soccer, but before doing so, she decides to apologize to Kia. We see the reunion of two friends, and Kia gives Mila her soccer shoes and wishes her luck.
Final Words
Forever has the perfect balance of a passion for sports and true friendship. Too much of any of the two elements would have made the film a pain to watch. The beautiful story of friendship building around soccer, despite the difference in intensity of passion between two friends, is worth mentioning. It is possible that Mila’s anger was a result of all the stored-up passion that she has for football, as we know that almost every genius has a hint of eccentricity in them. Mila is crazy about soccer, but she cares for her friendship, which is seen when she decides not to pursue football further when she learns that Kia will not play again. The motivation and push that Kia gives Mila is something that is worth mentioning. We feel genuine happiness as we witness the pride that Kia feels while watching her friend play on the field for a national cup. The storyline is beautiful with zero loopholes, making Forever worthwhile!
